From major cities to suburbs and small towns, more than 8 million people participated in over 3,300 “No Kings” marches — a national movement and day of action dedicated to nonviolent resistance against authoritarianism and corruption — across all 50 states on March 28, making it the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history, according to organizers.
In New York City, the third wave of “No Kings” protests, following rallies in June and October 2025, was held in all five boroughs.
More than 350,000 people marched through Times Square in Manhattan, led by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights attorney Maya Wiley, activist and producer Padma Lakshmi, and actor Robert De Niro. At a pre-march press conference, De Niro described the Trump administration’s actions as “diabolical,” noting that while other U.S. presidents had tested the limits of their power, none had posed such an existential threat to freedoms and security as President Trump.
“He must be stopped, and he must be stopped now,” De Niro said. “No King Trump; no unnecessary wars that rob our resources, sacrifice our brave servicemen and women, and slaughter innocents. No corrupt leader enriching himself and his Epstein-class buddies. No taking away health care from our most vulnerable neighbors. No unaffordable groceries, no unaffordable energy, no unaffordable housing, and no inflation at its highest level since COVID. No government mass thugs shooting down our neighbors in the streets.”
In Brooklyn, more than 20,000 people marched in Park Slope, protesting Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, the war in Iran and the rising cost of living, and describing his actions as reminiscent of a monarch rather than a democratic leader.
The grassroots response to what organizers described as federal authoritarianism and a call to protect community freedoms began at Garfield Place between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West. Marchers proceeded south on Prospect Park West before concluding at Bartel Pritchard Square at 15th Street, where music, sing-alongs and chanting continued.
Park Slope residents Dani Newman and Kathryn Krase co-organized the rally with support from more than 100 volunteers and local donors. The pair also organized the October “No Kings” march.
Newman told Brooklyn Paper they were inspired by the first Park Slope “No Kings” rally in June 2025, an impromptu gathering at Grand Army Plaza organized by a group of senior citizens who couldn’t attend the Manhattan march and which drew about 2,500 participants. They organized subsequent marches in Park Slope for those who wanted to express frustration with the current administration but couldn’t participate in Manhattan, whether due to security concerns, mobility issues or family obligations.
“There are [also] people who have never done anything like this before, and they want to put their toe in the water. And then there are people who just want to stand with their community, and that’s what we’re doing,” Newman said, stressing that they weren’t competing with the Manhattan march but focusing on the community aspect of a neighborhood known for its progressive political activity.
“We are not focused on the number of people who come; that just organically happened, because more and more people are feeling what’s going on in the world. More and more people need to know. And we don’t care what side of the fence you’re on, we want you to feel like you’re not alone,” Newman said. “It’s pure joy to see floods of people who are politically active, who are concerned citizens, who feel comfortable enough to come out, and who are part of this very, very tight community.”
Newman urged people to make their voices heard, saying the United States “was not a country for a king.”
“This is a country governed by the rule of law and due process. People are seeing people killed on the street [and] being kidnapped with no due process. Their gas prices are going up, and we’re going to war; all the things that some people felt assured weren’t happening, they’re all happening by the decree of one authoritarian figure, not through our democratic processes,” Newman said. “We can’t stand by and let that happen. And the thing I always come back to is that people have to remember the power is theirs to change this or do something about it. And there may be a time when it’s too late, but the people have the power because this is a government of, by, and for the people.”
Park Slope resident Tom Rinaldi said it was important to take to the streets given what he described as the threat of authoritarianism.
“We’re in a really serious time, and it’s time for people to step up and make their voices heard,” Rinaldi told Brooklyn Paper, noting that he was not only encouraged by the turnout but also by the age diversity.
“It seemed like there were more young people. There were a lot of children with their families and friends, all participating with signs and doing call-and-response chants, handing out “Know Your Rights with ICE” fliers,” he said.
Longtime political activist and Boerum Hill resident Ken Diamondstone marched with the Brooklyn for Peace contingent.
Diamondstone said the record-breaking turnout was an indicator of growing resentment toward the Trump administration, emphasizing the importance of opposing “Project 2025,” a 900-page manifesto drafted by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The plan calls, among other things, for eliminating the Department of Education, banning abortions and access to contraception, expanding immigrant detention centers, expediting the removal of undocumented immigrants, rolling back legal protections for the LGBTQIA+ community — including gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors — and eliminating climate policies.
“They are well on their way to implementing, and it’s frightening,” Diamondstone said. “They will be doing everything they can to suppress the vote in the Save Act, and they’re already doing their best to change the landscape by redistricting at a time when they’re not supposed to be redistricting, and the only thing that Democrats must do is fight fire with fire by redistricting as well.”
Brooklyn Democratic lawmakers, Assembly Members Jo Anne Simon and Robert Carroll, also joined their neighbors in sending Washington, D.C., a clear message that power belongs to the people, not to kings.
“There is nothing more American than exercising free speech rights through peaceful demonstration,” Carroll told Brooklyn Paper. “The great turnout for “No Kings” in Brooklyn and throughout New York City sends a strong message that people from all walks of life oppose Trump’s authoritarianism, divisiveness, racism, and war-mongering.”
