Thousands took to the streets of Sacramento in the third major nationwide “No Kings” protest on Saturday, March 28. Demonstrators, petitioners and organizers gathered at the steps of the California State Capitol from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. to protest the recent actions by President Donald Trump and his administration.
These protests come after escalations in the conflict between the United States alongside Israel and Iran. They are also in response to President Trump deploying the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement into airports due to the staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration, in addition to the continuing immigration detentions nationwide.
Speakers, such as immigration attorney Karen Pedraza and Bishop Sandra Olewine, addressed the crowd from the steps of the Capitol. The speakers gave speeches meant to uplift listeners, urging them to continue standing up for peace, human rights and equality. Several singers also performed for the crowd.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” the “No Kings” website says. “But in America, we don’t have kings — and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption and cruelty.”
Around 2:30 p.m., protesters marched down Capitol Mall toward the Tower Bridge and temporarily blocked traffic. The marchers could be heard chanting, “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA!”
The demonstration at the Capitol was just one within Sacramento County and the greater area, with other gatherings at locations like West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Orangevale, Galt and more. Nationwide, there were an estimated 3,000 protest gatherings in both urban and rural areas of the U.S., according to NPR and the “No Kings” website.
A crowd of protesters gather in front of the California State Capitol during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The crowd listened to an assortment of speakers and performers. (AJ Tinkess)
Judy Chynoweth participated as a greeter and said Saturday was her second time attending a “No Kings” protest. Chynoweth said she attended her first “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18, 2025 in Roseville, and her main motive for returning was the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
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This time, she attended with a friend from the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, who inspired her to become a greeter for the event. Both were handing out small flyers with information on how people can take further action against the Trump administration following the protest.
“I think the thing that disturbs me the most is just acting as if he’s the king and can do anything he wants to,” Chynoweth said. “He’s a terrible person, but what he’s doing to our government is even worse.”
In a statement from the White House, spokesperson Abigail Jackson described protests like “No Kings” as “Trump derangement therapy sessions” and said that the only people who care about the protests are the reporters paid to cover it. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Maureen O’Toole called the protests “Hate America Rallies,” claiming that they encourage violence.
“This is not the way American democracy should be,” Chynoweth said. “It’s very hard to keep doing that in the face of an administration that just doesn’t care.”
Sunny Gibson spent the afternoon in the Sacramento sun among the other demonstrators, waving their sign as cars passed by. Gibson has attended the two previous “No Kings” protests in October and June 2025, advocating against the inhumane treatment of immigrants.
“Honestly, it’s a great time being out here; it’s a community,” Gibson said. “It’s an ability to just say what you feel and how to get that message out to the most amount of people as you can. It’s not something that you need to be afraid of, it’s what we should do as Americans.”
Another attendee, Victor Giannini, was also advocating against the inhumane treatment of immigrants and recent Trump administration political decisions. He wandered around the edge of the main crowd, holding a poster in support of the immigrant community.
“I’ve never seen anything as bad in my life,” Giannini said. “Everywhere makes mistakes, but I think, as a nation, we went down a really bad path.”
Like the last two “No Kings” protests, this event was organized by several organizations. Throughout Capitol Park, many organizations and groups had tents set up to hand out information around their missions, petitions or protest-related merchandise.
Protesters march during the last hour of the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The crowd could be heard chanting as they marched down Capitol Mall toward the Tower Bridge. (AJ Tinkess)
One organization that was tabling at the event was the College Democrats of Sacramento State, who were co-tabling with Sac State’s Renaissance Society. Two Sac State students, sophomore political science major Daniel Smith and freshman political science major Dailin Brown, were encouraging civil discourse and promoting peer advocacy among students and attendees.
“It’s important, when you have frustrations and concerns, to know that you’re not alone in that,” Smith said. “Being out here, connecting organizations to the people, but also just connecting people to people is really important. Especially in times like these where people are scared and they want to know what’s going on.”
Brown and Smith said Saturday was the first time that College Democrats formally made an appearance at a “No Kings” protest, though its members have participated in various movements and past events. They both said that protests like “No Kings” are important to make an impact on the community, and they wanted to help connect attendees with other people, share resources and spread knowledge.
“There are Republicans that are here; there are Conservatives that are here,” Brown said. “It’s not just Liberal, Democratic and Left.”
Brown said that it was comforting to see people gather together for the same cause, noting how everyone came from various backgrounds of ages and places. Smith agreed with Brown, saying he found it reassuring seeing how many people shared concerns.
“It’s important to tell anybody who aligns with the same things that I believe that they’re not alone, and also tell the people who don’t agree with me that we are not alone,” Gibson said.
A protester holds a sign that says “No Kings” Saturday, March 28, 2026. Protesters displayed signs that demonstrated opposition to the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and President Donald Trump.