‘No Kings’ protesters across the United States gathered from coast to coast Saturday, March 28, marking the third such coordinated demonstration against President Donald Trump’s policies and actions amid his second term. Throughout the nation, over 3,000 events were expected.
On Saturday, demonstrators rallied in California, Tennessee, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, Texas, Washington, D.C., and other locations. The rally in in Saint Paul, Minnesota, included renowned names like the state’s Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Bernie Sanders, actress Jane Fonda, and Rep. Ilhan Omar. There was also a performance of ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ from Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, USA Today reported.
Demonstrators marched, stood in crowds and lined main streets. They waved signs, chanted and cheered as cars drove by.
What are ‘No Kings’ demonstrators protesting on March 28?
Like the previous ‘No’ Kings protests, this one was also aimed at calling out Trump’s decisions and policies. The No Kings website mentioned what specifically the protesters were criticizing on March 28. The issues included ICE arrests and deaths, as well as the Iran-US conflict.
“Masked secret police terrorizing our communities. An illegal, catastrophic war putting us in danger and driving up our costs. Attacks on our freedom of speech, our civil rights, our freedom to vote. Costs pushing families to the brink. Trump wants to rule over us as a tyrant. But this is America, and power belongs to the people – not to wannabe kings or their billionaire cronies,” read the ‘No Kings’ website.
“On March 28, we show up together, and we say, loud and clear: No Kings,” it added.
It further said, “As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country. If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken. We are coming together again on March 28 because we know we can overcome this repression when we unite.”
US-Iran conflict, and ICE arrests and deaths
The US launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on February 27, with the strikes targeting key Iranian military sites, including missile facilities, naval bases, and locations near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office. The United States unleashed various weaponry against Iranian targets on Saturday, February 28, including suicide drones, Tomahawk cruise missiles and stealth fighters. It also used, for the first time in combat, low-cost one-way attack drones modeled after Iranian designs.
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The strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump later asserted in a statement on Khamenei’s death that he moved first to neutralize what he claimed was an imminent threat to his own life. The conflict has continued since.
In recent weeks, Iran has been laying traps and moving military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in an attempt to prepare for a possible US operation to gain control of the island, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with US intelligence. Kharg Island, located in the Persian Gulf, is Iran’s primary hub for oil exports.
Meanwhile, Trump explained at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) annual fundraising dinner Wednesday, March 25, why he avoids using the word “war” to describe the Iran conflict. “I won’t use the word ‘war’ because they say if you use the word ‘war,’ that’s maybe not a good thing to do,” Trump told the crowd of GOP lawmakers at Union Station in Washington, D.C. “They don’t like the word ‘war’ because you’re supposed to get approval. So, I’ll use the word ‘military operation’, which is really what it is. It’s a military decimation.”
The US and Israel first launched strikes on Tehran late last month. The White House later said that there have been “productive conversations” with Iran. However, Tehran has largely rebuffed the administration, including a ceasefire proposal.
ICE arrests have been another major issue with those against Trump’s policies. Various videos of ICE agents arresting people across the US, including a video of a woman who was filmed being pulled from her vehicle by ICE agents in Minneapolis, sparked outrage. She was later identified as tech guru and LGBT and racial justice activist Aliya Rahman, a software engineer with a background in coding. Rahman is known for having supported policies for police-worn body cameras. She has ties to several advocacy groups, including a lengthy history with the Black Lives Matter movement.
ICE also came under fire after videos claimed to show a 17-year-old boy being arrested by agents while working at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. According to social media posts, Jonathan Aguilar Garcia was arrested despite being a US citizen, with some posts claiming he was targeted because ICE agents simply assumed he was an immigrant because of how he looked.
Criticism against ICE became even more widespread after the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Both were shot dead by ICE agents in Minnesota.
