Amid wars, tariffs, mass deportations and other alleged abuses of power by the Trump administration, the third “No Kings” protest drew record numbers of attendees Saturday across Sonoma County.
A sense of camaraderie and excitement bristled within the crowd of nearly 12,000 attendees who marched and converged on Old Courthouse Square after gathering at Santa Rosa Junior College and Juilliard Park in the third iteration of “No Kings Day.”
Organizers provided water, medical stations and portable toilets to support protesters during the five-hour long demonstration.
“To the systems, the leaders, the institutions that still believe they can rule without listening,” said Madonna Feather Cruz, a Native American activist who stood atop the stage speaking to the crowd, “We see you. We challenge you. And we are not afraid of you.”
Chants and songs seeking accountability from the U.S. government were further exacerbated by the war in Iran, which the procession claimed to be illegal.
“I started with Vietnam when I was 18. I’ve got a lot of veteran status on standing up to what’s not correct,” said Richard Grant, a decades-long resident of Santa Rosa. “I bet everyone in this crowd has been hurt, or their sons or their daughters, grandkids, healthcare, education — and now their kids are getting sent over to Iran.”
The expansion in scale and planning of the protest compared to previous “No Kings Day” demonstrations became apparent as the two marches arrived at the Old Courthouse Square. Thousands gathered with signs and satirical cosplay as speakers with Indivisible Steve Markus and Jeanine Willig addressed the amassing audience.
“In the Declaration of Independence, after all the stuff about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it says that governments are made among the people and they derive their power from the people. The consent of the people. But we stand here today and withdraw our consent,” Markus said to the cheers of the protesters.
Protesters listened to live music and visited stands at the edge of the park, put on by organizations and local political initiatives.
The protest lasted until 6 p.m. with many activist groups networking and sharing resources as the crowd dispersed.
“I think all of us have seen so many protests come and go — we hear about the history of massive protest movements and the things they were accomplishing,” said Paul O’Connel, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. “It can be frustrating for people to look and see some of the biggest protests in U.S. history to see things go on as usual. People all around us are looking around for something to do, a way to make a difference. These protests aren’t set up to force change. It signals to our elected officials that there is a lot of interest in going in a certain direction.”
Reporting by Kevin Terlizzi-Bowes
Contributions from Ziggy Leon Carrillo, Pacific Jeremy
Editor’s note: A cutline has since been corrected to add additional context to an interview with Mateo on April 2, 2026.
Marcia Singer • Mar 30, 2026 at 4:27 pm
Happened upon your report on our Saturday rally in Santa Rosa, thank you, and thus ‘happened’ to now be aware that you–exist. A former instructor with the SRJC Older Adult Ed program, wish each of you many blessings on the Path.
Mateo T Prusky • Mar 29, 2026 at 4:03 pm
Interesting how the only quote used from our conversation was the one thing that had nothing to do with the question asked, or with the issues being discussed. Almost as if the entire intent of publishing that particular quote was to be deceptive.
Why not publish the recording of our actual interview, or at least a transcript? You’d rather just post the sound bite. What a pathetic excuse for “journalism”.
Lauren Kelleher • Apr 2, 2026 at 4:26 pm
Hello Mateo,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The Oak Leaf is committed to unbiased reporting and upholding journalistic standards, as outlined in our “Commitment to Our Community” section. We reviewed the recording and transcript of your interview and compared it to the quote that was published. We believe your quote did relate to the issues being discussed, which was your reason to come out and demonstrate in an effort to start dialogue with people and find common ground, but we understand that without your initial answer and the context it provides, it does seem misleading. We have followed up with the reporters involved, made a correction to the cutline to include the additional context, and made an editor’s note to reflect the change. If you have any additional comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly at [email protected].
-Lauren Kelleher, Co-Editor-in-Chief