Across posters, protests and chants, a throughline emerged: a public determined to defend democracy.
No Kings rally and concert at the Minnesota state Capitol on March 28, 2026, where Bruce Springsteen sang his new original song, “Streets of Minneapolis.” (Astrida Valigorsky / Getty Images)
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, millions showed up for the latest wave of No Kings protests, drawing an estimated 8 million people across more than 3,300 events worldwide. The flagship event was held in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the site of a controversial immigration enforcement surge resulting in the deaths of two residents, Renée Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.
New York City. (Livia Follet)
From major cities to small towns, demonstrators’ handmade signs, costumes and chants reflected: growing alarm over the state of U.S. democracy and an administration they see as increasingly unaccountable; calls for defense of democratic norms, including invoking the Constitution, demanding checks and balances, and calling for impeachment; grief and fury over the continuederosion of reproductive rights in the years since Roe v. Wade fell; anxiety about the U.S.’ role on the global stage amid escalating global tensions, including the war in Iran; and concern about rising corporate power and its influence over policy.
Trump’s approval ratings are sagging, especially amongst women:
A February 2025 YouGov/Economist survey found 60 percent of women disapproved of Trump’s performance, compared with 50 percent of men, a gender gap of 10 points.
Among Gen Z voters, the divide is even sharper: An NBC News/Generation Lab poll found 74 percent of young women disapproved of Trump, compared with 47 percent of young men, a gender gap of 27.
(That’s also why Trump and some Republicans are pushing the SAVE Act: to disenfranchise women voters, who are much more likely to support Democratic candidates and causes than their male counterparts.)
No Kings rally and march on Oct. 18, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Christopher Mark Juhn / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Here are some of our favorite signs from the latest round of No Kings protests.
History as Warning
Berlin, Germany. (Adam Berry / Getty Images)New York City on March 28, 2026. Over 100,000 people gathered across the city’s five boroughs. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)
Freedom of the Press
Philadelphia. (Joe Lamberti / Getty Images)New York City. (Livia Follet)
People Power
New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)
New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)Madrid, Spain; translates to, “Elect a clown. Expect a circus.” (Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images)
Grief and Rage
Philadelphia. (Joe Lamberti / Getty Images)New York City. (Jenny Warburg)
War, Global Instability and Chaos
El Segundo, Calif. (Jay L Clendenin / Getty Images)New York City. (Jenny Warburg)Berlin, Germany. (Adam Berry / Getty Images)New York City. (Jerome Gilles / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Salida, Colo. (Stacy Follet)
New York City. (Livia Follet)
Calls to Abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)New York City. (Livia Follet)
Pop Culture and Humor
A sign in Durham, N.C., harkens to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (Jenny Warburg)
Livia Follet is an editorial fellow at Ms. and a recent graduate from The University of Colorado Boulder where she earned bachelor's degrees in English literature and women and gender studies. Raised in rural Colorado, her interests include environmental justice movements, Indigenous feminisms and reproductive justice. She is based in New York City.
Roxanne Szal (or Roxy) is the managing digital editor at Ms. and a producer on the Ms. podcast On the Issues With Michele Goodwin. She is also a mentor editor for The OpEd Project. Before becoming a journalist, she was a Texas public school English teacher. She is based in Austin, Texas. Connect with her on Instagram and LinkedIn.
