Thousands of people turned out for “No Kings” protests in Hartford and throughout Connecticut on Saturday, joining millions around the country to mark one of the largest single day protests in American history, taking aim at President Donald Trump’s policies amid an escalating war abroad and economic uncertainty at home.
With unified chants such as “This is what democracy looks like!” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” echoing throughout the grounds of the state Capitol, thousands of people holding signs showed their disdain for the current administration.
Along with Hartford, 50 other registered “No Kings” rallies were planned across Connecticut on Saturday morning.
The “No Kings” protests mark a “peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration,” according to Indivisible, the organizer of the movement. Thousands of rallies were held across the United States and in a handful of other countries.
Last October, an estimated 12,000 people showed up at the state Capitol for “No Kings” demonstrations, but this time, protestors say, is different. The United States is now engaged in a war with Iran dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” which has caused global economic consequences. Americans now say they are feeling the economic pain caused by the turmoil in Middle East.
The Straight of Hormuz, which is a critical oil shipping route, has been blocked off by Iran as retaliation against U.S. strikes, causing a global oil and energy crisis. Gas prices have soared to a national average of $3.97 per gallon, according to AAA. Crude oil futures have surged on average to $99 per barrel, up 40% over the last month. Economic shocks have caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close in correction territory on Friday, capping the longest losing streak in years on Wall Street, according to the Associated Press.
Other economic indicators point to a souring mood on the U.S. economy. The consumer sentiment index fell to 53.3 in March, down from 56.6 in February, hitting a three-month low. In addition, 12-month inflation expectations have jumped to 3.8% from 3.4%, according to the Associated Press.
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Kathleen Hindman of West Hartford holds an anti-war sign during the “No Kings” rally at the Connecticut State Capitol on Saturday, March, 28. Hindman, who has two sons in the U.S. Navy and a daughter-in-law in the U.S. Marines, said she is against the war in Iran. (Stephen Underwood/Hartford Courant)
Protestors in Hartford said, among many issues including preserving and protecting democracy, they are now worried about the war in Iran as the conflict enters its second month. Kathleen Hindman of West Hartford held up a sign that read “War is Not the Answer.” She said that she is concerned about the war in the Middle East, as both her sons and her daughter-in-law serve in the military. She said that the administration does not seem to have a clear set of defined goals on what to achieve, and she is concerned more Americans will die.
“This is not what they signed up for, not on a whim Trump saying ‘I’m going to bomb another country’,” Hindman said. “The idea that he can just bomb or invade a country without even congressional approval is not constitutional. Prior presidents would take war very seriously. But this president has said that dead military members are ‘just the price of war.’ Our military members deserve a lot better.”
Mary Lee Morrison of Hartford said that she has attended the past two “No Kings” rallies last year, sut she said this time it feels like the country is further spiraling toward a crisis. She said that she thinks Trump will escalate the war abroad without considering the damage being done and human toll. So far, 13 U.S. service members have died and over 300 have been wounded in the conflict. Over 1,900 to 3,300 people have been killed in Iran and throughout the region from the start of the conflict on Feb. 28, according to the Associated Press.
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Jay Ames of Storrs holds a puppet of Donald Trump he created himself at the “No Kings” rally at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford on Saturday, March, 28. (Stephen Underwood/Hartford Courant)
“I think the war will stop at some point, but only to serve Trump’s own interests. It’s always about him and his self preservation. It’s never about the greater good or the country,” Morrison said. “He’s a total narcissist, and there is no good reason why we are now at war and potentially about to invade Iran. We need to help people and stop killing people. I am afraid he will continue this war until it doesn’t suit him.”
While the topic of the conflict in Iran was most discussed, many signs mentioned other political hot button issues like ICE, immigration, Elon Musk, Jeffrey Epstein, tariffs, the SAVE Act, and the upcoming midterm elections. In January, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers shot and killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were protesting while federal officers were conducting “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis.
“I’m out here today to say that de-funding ICE is not enough. We need to abolish and prosecute,” said Emily Bird of Glastonbury. “They are tearing families apart violently and for no reason other than based on their skin color or nationality. People are being abducted from their schools, jobs and just walking down the street. It’s got to stop, it’s just wrong. ICE has to be disbanded and many have to be prosecuted for their crimes.”
Among those who spoke at the event were U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Rep. John Larson, Desert Storm Veteran Sherri Vogt, Manchester Poet Laureate Nadia Simms, Connecticut Student for a Dream director Tabitha Sookdeo and attorney Chris Mattei.Singers Danielle and Ethan Berriault provided music, along with Hartford’s Proud Drill, Drum and Dance Corps
“This war is costing us $1 billion dollars a day. You know what I can do with $1 billion dollars a day? I can have free universal healthcare for all our citizens,” Lamont said to a fired-up crowd. “We could have free early childhood education for all of our young families. I need each and every one of you to stand up and know what this means. This is 250 years later and we’re not going back. Stand up and fight!”
Blumenthal said to loud cheers at the Capitol building that he will be fighting to strike down the Republican-introduced SAVE Act, which would require additional voter ID to register and vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act requires voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship at the time of registration and a photo ID at the time of voting, according to the Associated Press. The SAVE America Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in February 2026.
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Chris Lange of Enfield waves a Monarch butterfly flag along with an American flag at the “No Kings” protest at the Connecticut State Capitol on Saturday, March 28. (Stephen Underwood/Hartford Courant)
“We’re going to say NO, NO, NO to more of Donald Trump’s tyranny this November,” Blumenthal said. “Tyrants think they can scare people and subvert the vote. They think they can take away from state’s their power to regulate elections. Donald Trump has something called the SAVE Act. I will say NO to the SAVE Act. I can pledge to you we will vote it down. It will not pass.”
U.S. Rep. John Larson released a statement hailing the “No Kings” protests as an important message to the Trump administration.
“At a moment when our democratic institutions are being tested, it is more important than ever for all of us to be engaged in the fight to protect our cherished values as Americans,” Larson said in a statement. “Today, we are here to say THERE ARE NO KINGS IN AMERICA. We have been rejecting kings since 1776, and that’s not going to change now. Senator Chris Murphy said it best on the Senate floor: ‘The authoritarian takeover isn’t coming. It’s here.’ We’re in the middle of it, but it’s not too late for everybody to see it and for us to stop it. If we the people remain united and continue to speak up, we will not be defeated.”
Chris Lange from Enfield, who waved a flag of a Monarch butterfly to symbolize “the only true Monarch,” said that the rally is a time for camaraderie and being able to vent frustrations against the administration. She said that while she is “very concerned” about the state of the country, she said she is pleased more people are getting engaged. She said that she will be working in Enfield to ensure people can get to the polls in November.
“As more people begin to engage, the better off we are,” Lange said. “People coming here to show their anger is a good thing, but they also need to go and vote in November. We need people to go vote all the Trump enablers out of office.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com.