Thousands of people gathered in downtown Chicago on March 28 for the third nationwide “No Kings” protest, according to organizers. The event began at Grant Park’s Butler Field and filled Loop streets with demonstrators carrying signs, banners, and costumes.
The rally was organized by Indivisible and a coalition of organizations across the United States. Previous “No Kings” protests have drawn some of the largest crowds in recent history, with over 250,000 attendees reported at a prior Chicago event last fall. Saturday’s demonstration saw an estimated attendance of 200,000 people, as stated by an Indivisible spokesperson.
Participants marched from Butler Field through Columbus Drive and other major streets toward Trump Tower. The event featured performances such as Melanie Angel singing “A Change Is Gonna Come,” along with speeches from elected officials and activists. Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the crowd: “Every day our movement is bigger, our resolve is stronger,” Johnson said. “Here in the city of Chicago, we believe in protecting every person in this city … We’re gonna end this assault against working people, against immigrants and end these endless wars.”
Johnson also announced support for a national day of action on May 1 to advocate for workers’ rights and called attention to ongoing conflicts involving the United States abroad. Jason Reiger from Indivisible Chicago said: “Every day, Donald Trump is spending billions to drag us into endless wars, now in Iran… so what are we gonna do? We’re gonna fight back!”
Demonstrators raised concerns about issues ranging from foreign policy to immigration enforcement. Local resident Edgar Molina-Madrigal said: “This president is coming in and taking our people, dragging us into a war we don’t want. I’m here to say ‘No’ to that — and people are waking up.” Counter-protesters were also present; Shawn Campbell commented on his perspective regarding American democracy: “There are millions of people at the ‘No Kings’ protests today in America… what that proves is that we don’t have a king.”
The march concluded back at Butler Field before evening as participants reflected on their reasons for attending.
