Hojun Choi
Thousands of people rallied in Montpelier on March 28, joining nationwide protests against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
The third official “No Kings” protest at the Vermont Statehouse was among dozens around the state, including in Burlington and Essex Junction. Around the country, millions of people participated in similar demonstrations, according to a press release from 50501.
In the weeks leading up to the protest, tensions flared between local immigration advocates and federal authorities. On March 11, hundreds of people faced off against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, state and local police during a raid in South Burlington.
And just days before the scheduled No Kings 3.0 protest, federal authorities detained José Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz, leader of advocacy at Migrant Justice, and accused him of smuggling people into the U.S. De La Cruz has pleaded not guilty to the charges, VTDigger reported.
Some, like Rutland resident Elaina James, said international issues spurred her to attend the rally in Montpelier. She said it was her first time attending a No Kings protest.
“The war is going on and Trump basically is covering up the Epstein files,” James said. “There’s a lot of nonsense in what he’s doing.”
Guest speakers for the rally included Democratic Sen. Peter Welch, state Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden), and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark. Sen. Bernie Sanders was a guest at the No Kings protest in Minnesota, billed as the flagship event on March 28.
“Standing up for love and community is worth it. We don’t know, necessarily, how the outcome will turn out. Here’s what we know that matters: We know that we will face that day the best we can, every single day, to make this a better state, to make ours a better country, to have respect for the community we live in,” Welch told the Montpelier crowd.
State Rep. Leonora Dodge (D-Essex Junction) shared a message on behalf of Migrant Justice and read aloud the cases of immigration enforcement actions in Vermont since 2025.
“Today we are here together. Today we give voice to the pain, we join together in healing and we call for justice,” Dodge said before reading the statement.
Donna Goodrich, who serves on the steering committee of Indivisible Montpelier, among the coalition of advocacy organizations that organized the rally, said she had been saddened by the current state of the country. Still, she does not feel discouraged, Goodrich said.
“I feel those things, but I channel the feelings into determination to move forward and work harder,” Goodrich said. “Because this is worth it.”
Josh Ferguson, lead field organizer for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said the organization collaborated with multiple central Vermont-based Indivisible chapters, including those in Calais and Montpelier, for the March 28 protest. About 3,400 people attended the Montpelier No Kings protest, Ferguson said.
“One of the core ways we impact change across the state is attempting to build and assist coalition power and to broaden it as wide as possible for the benefit of each of those individual participating organizations.
While the protest was broadly focused on opposing the Trump administration, local advocacy organizations also supported and participated in the event, passing out event fliers and meeting new potential members.
Ali McGuirk, a member of Apartheid-Free Montpelier, could be seen holding a large Palestinian flag at the No Kings protest.
“We want to show solidarity no matter what,” McGuirk said.
Katayoun Lam, organizing co-director for climate justice nonprofit 350Vermont, said the group spread out and attended different protests throughout the day to promote its mission and show solidarity with other social causes.
“I think fighting for justice everywhere is all interlinked,” she said. “It’s all connected in the same fight for collective liberation.”
