Social Issues
The nation is coming together again on Saturday, March 28th. This protest, called No Kings 3, is expected to be the largest protest in America’s history.
In a protest organized by Indivisible Park County and the Women’s Action Project, friends and neighbors will start gathering at 11:30 am on the corner of River Drive and View Vista Drive in Livingston. In Gardiner, the protest begins at 3 pm at Jardine Road and Scott Street. At both protests, costumes are welcomed, and everyone is encouraged to bring a food donation for each town’s food resource center.
“When people gather in public spaces, it sparks action. Protests bring people together and get them involved in local efforts,” said Kelly Miller, co-founder of the Women's Action Project. “Protesting is not about tearing the country down. It is about protecting the values that make this country worth fighting for: truth, liberty, and the right of the people to be heard. As a veteran, I believe the freedoms we fought for include the right, and sometimes the responsibility, to stand up, speak out, and defend democracy here at home.”
Fourteen months into Trump’s second term, organizers say there are hundreds of reasons people are protesting here in Montana and across the country. The illegal ICE raids and huge detention centers being built; unauthorized war between the United States and Iran, which is quickly spreading throughout the Middle East; illegal tariffs that cost the average American about $1,700 last year; or the plan to mine, clearcut or sell off huge swaths of public land.
Whatever the reason, says the organizers, when Americans are under attack, and costs are pushing people to the brink, silence is not an option. America does not belong to strongmen, greedy billionaires, or those who rule through fear—it belongs to us, the people.
"Protesting can also help us deal with the emotional side of living under and fighting against authoritarianism,” said Rick Lamplugh, co-founder of Indivisible Park County. “When you spend time peacefully in the streets, chanting, singing and walking and talking with others who share your values and determination, you can come away feeling energized, happy and excited to join more public protests—to be a part of something bigger. Scientific research supports the positive results of protesting.”
Last June, a national coalition helped organize what many said was impossible: getting millions of people to take to the streets and declare with one voice—America has No Kings. As a result, the world saw the power of the people.
Four months later, on October 18th, the second No Kings protest grew even larger. Over seven million Americans joined 2,700 events in all 50 states. What began in June as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading a sense of optimism from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy.
"Optimism in the face of fascism is one of the most accessible forms of defiance,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible’s national leadership team. “The regimes’ plan is to scare everyone into submission. But millions of people taking to the streets calls the regimes’ bluff and is a powerful display of optimistic noncompliance.”
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolence. All participants must act lawfully and seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. In addition, signs should not contain profanity.
In Livingston, there will be sign-making materials available and face-painting for kids. Around noon, protesters will begin marching, chanting, and singing. Those who cannot march can meet the protest at the corner of Park and Main. Once the group returns to the starting point, three speakers will briefly reflect on why they are happy to call Livingston home, followed by live music, including sing-alongs. The protest ends at 2 pm.
The Gardiner protest begins at 3 pm, so that folks from Livingston have time to join. Protesters will sing and chant as they march across the Yellowstone River bridge and toward Yellowstone National Park. That protest ends at 4 pm.
"Our country needs a cleansing balm for the soul. We rally to fortify each other against Trump’s toxic war on America and her values,” said Mary Strickroth, co-founder of Indivisible Park County. “With purpose, we come together en masse to celebrate our people, lands, and Park County communities; to make a loud and joyful noise in song, through art, shared words and thoughts; through love and connection with our neighbors, friends, and families. Our presence is a declaration to the world that love, community, and action will endure against Trump’s fascist madness."