‘No Kings’ protest draws 1,100 people

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

The third “No Kings” demonstration, held March 28, was recognized as the largest single-day protest in U.S. history, with a reported 8 million people gathering at more than 3,300 separate rallies across the nation in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Courtesy photo

Local organizers Sandpoint Indivisible and Sandpoint 50501 reported 1,100 people attended the event in Sandpoint, which took place along First Avenue from Superior Street to Pine Street.

The collective “No Kings” protests are a series of political demonstrations against what organizers describe as the “authoritarian policies” of President Donald Trump and “corruption” within his administration. An MS NOW reporter reached out to the Trump administration to ask their take on the growing demonstrations, claiming that one senior White House official responded, “We do not think about the protests at all.”

Photo by Ben Olson

The second “No Kings” protest last October saw more than 7 million people attend approximately 2,700 rallies, and the first in June 2025 racked up 2,100 “No Kings” events, which saw more than 5 million attendees.

Photo by Ben Olson

The Sandpoint demonstration was peaceful, with many holding signs critical of the Trump administration and the war in Iran. Local activist group 1 Million Rising hosted a community forum, and local band Lights on the Water and the Sandpoint Resistance Revival Choir played live music and protest songs, respectively. Organizers also gathered 223 pounds of food at the event and nearly $370 in cash, all of which benefitted the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Photo by Ben Olson

“Thank you to the peacekeepers for once again ensuring a safe, peaceful event,” organizers wrote after the protest. “Thank you to the Sandpoint Police Department for working to protect our First Amendment rights and keep us safe. Thank you to all the local groups who participated in the community forum. … And most of all, thank you to everyone who came out to rally to protect our democracy!”

Want to support independent local journalism?

The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned and operated by people who were born and raised in Sandpoint. The Reader is owned by Publisher Ben Olson, Editor-in-Chief Zach Hagadone and Senior Writer Soncirey Mitchell. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.

You may also like...