Opinion: Solidarity at No Kings
No Kings 3 demonstration in Chicago, March 28, 2026. Photo: Wilimedia Commons
Love, Justice and Climate Change
The No Kings rallies on March 28 were the largest protest in the history of the United States! Eight million people were in the streets together! What an overwhelming expression of resistance and opposition to Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies! What a statement against the war, against ICE, against graft and self-enriching politicians, and for democracy!
I think the rallies sent quite a message. Some people said to me they didn’t think the message would make any difference. I don’t expect the message to shift Trump’s behavior much, if at all, but I think it could make quite a difference for political leaders who are on the fence or are trying to decide whether to continue to support Trump’s policies or to abandon them or even speak out against them. Having significant public support can make a difference for those folks.
Even more important, in my opinion, is that the huge turnout sent a message to all of us – a message that we are not alone, a message that the resistance is growing, a message that we can rely on each other for support and keep going.
I also heard a good many people speculating about what comes next. I think there will be many policies and actions to protest and lobby legislators on in smaller and more local groups. The big thing that comes next in my mind is protecting the vote and getting a huge number of voters to vote in the November mid-terms. This will likely need to take many forms and be different in different states. Meanwhile, it’s not too early to be writing postcards to voters. There are many good sources for postcards and addresses. One of these is at https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards.
Many commentators are writing about the current moment. Today I just want to invite you to take a look, or another look, and the photos of the huge crowds that came together on Saturday to say “No Kings”. I hope we can imprint these images in our minds and remember them if we feel discouraged any time in the coming months. Here are some of my favorite photos and sites.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/837518179376604
https://www.facebook.com/groups/50501movement/posts/1319309539806372
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/28/us/no-kings-trump-iran-immigration-minnesota.html
Russ Vernon-Jones was principal of Fort River School from 1990 to 2008 and is currently a member of the Steering Committee of Climate Action Now-Western Massachusetts. He blogs regularly on climate justice at www.russvernonjones.org.