"It is always the American people that drag us out of situations like this."”

Bennet

NEDERLAND — “Masked secret police terrorizing our communities. An illegal, catastrophic war putting us in danger and driving up our costs. Attacks on our freedom of speech, our civil rights, our freedom to vote. Costs pushing families to the brink.”

These words are listed at the top of the official No Kings website, meant to provide the many reasons why over 8 million people nationwide participated in more than 3,300 individual demonstrations on Saturday, March 28, as part of one of the largest mass protests ever organized. 

This movement evolved from the Hands Off! protests, which were 1,400 planned demonstrations across the country back in April of last year, all organized under the central message to President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to not reduce federal spending on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, or veterans services, and to not rescind or harm LGBTQ+ rights and the rights of immigrants.

Hands Off! was attended by more than 3 million Americans and was organized by a coalition of 200 progressive and proactive civil rights groups, including the 50501 and Indivisible movements, as well as the ACLU, Center for Biological Diversity, CLEAR, Federal Unionists Network, Freedom Writers Collaborative, Greenpeace, Move On, Planned Parenthood, Rise and Resist, Third Act, Veterans For Peace, and Women’s March. 

Many protest signs referenced the Epstein Files.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

The first No Kings protests — held in June 2025 in direct response to Trump’s Grand Military Parade and Celebration for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary — piggybacked off the success of the Hands Off! movement. Some 4–6 million protesters gathered in over 2,100 locations across all 50 states. 

Then, in response to agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and National Guard being deployed to American cities, a second round of No Kings launched in October. Those events brought approximately 7 million protesters to 3,100 locations. 

At the Peace Sculpture Garden, off Highway 119 in Nederland, on Saturday, March 28, a spirited group rallied to be part of the third No Kings demonstration.

As the highway filled with traffic heading to Eldora and Frozen Dead Guy Days, the Peace Sculpture Garden became alive with Nederland-brand passion and outlaw spirit. Flags were flown, guitars were strummed and drums were beaten, and signs that read “Deport Trump,” “No War! No Nazis!,” and “Democracy Not Dictatorship” were brandished with pride. 

Numbers play a big part as to whether such protests are considered successful, as crowd size indicates a representation of Trump’s unpopularity. This also accounts for why the true crowd size of these movements is often contested, and why crowdsourced data falls under so much scrutiny for potentially either undercounting or inflating attendance numbers to support a narrative.  

Roughly 70 to 80 people protested at the Peace Sculpture Garden in Nederland. There were reportedly over 9,500 protesters in Boulder, and over 3,000 protesters in Longmont, with smaller gatherings in Superior and Erie.

Nederland may not have the impressive numbers that many other rallies boast, but it makes up for it in spirit.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

No Kings is branded as a peaceful movement, and protesters who register through the movement’s website are offered non-violence training. Violence still occurs at these events, though this year’s protests were less explosive than in 2025. 

That year, after the initial 3-mile march and gathering at the Denver Capital, police in riot gear engaged a group of protesters who were attempting to block I-25. Video footage spread across social media shows the police firing tear gas at the alleged agitators near Coors Field, many of whom kicked or threw the gas canisters back. 

Additionally, violence in Los Angeles during No Kings resulted in dozens of arrests. In Portland, federal agents reportedly clashed with protesters outside of an ICE facility after they spray-painted the word “Nazis” on the face of the building.

Despite these isolated incidents, Saturday's rallies were largely peaceful. The New York Police Department’s social media boasted there were zero arrests during that city's No Kings demonstration. 

Arguably, the state that became the epicenter of political violence over the winter as a result of ICE’s occupation, Minnesota, has become the true capital of the No Kings movement. The State Capital in St. Paul hosted some of the biggest artists and voices in the activist community, including Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen, Senator Bernie Sanders, Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and a special message from Robert DeNiro.  

With this year’s No Kings rallies also falling in an election cycle, many Colorado candidates showed up for the photo opportunity.

John Hickenlooper — currently seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate — posted selfies with protesters on social media, stating, “Colorado bows to no king.” Current U.S. Senator and gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet also attended a No Kings rally, skipping the state Democratic Assembly to address several hundred attendees in Littleton about the power that "We The People" possess. 

“It is always the American people that drag us out of situations like this,” Bennet said. “That is what people standing on these street corners in Littleton and all across Colorado are doing today.”