by Chris Jones ·
Friday, April 3, 2026
Protestors line all four corners of the town center during the No Kings rally, waving flags and signs, and singing and chanting as cars drive by. (Photos by Hannah Taylor)
Toting protest signs while bundled in parkas, gloves, and winter hats, roughly 300 people flooded the Common this past Saturday, March 28, to take part in the third No Kings Rally, a national movement that addresses a wide range of grievances with the second Trump administration. These grievances include but are not limited to immigration crackdowns, the war with Iran, the high cost of living, and accusations of political “tyranny.”
Despite temperatures in the 30s, protesters lined Massachusetts Avenue and Still River Road looking for support from passing vehicles. When drivers pumped their horns, cheers erupted as protest signs and fists bobbed in the bright sunshine.
On entering the rally, a seated Fernando Colon of Concord stopped this reporter to say, “This is how community is built, and how you don’t feel alone. Our democracy is threatened, and we could lose it all.” A man next to Colon added, referring to the rising price of gasoline, “You know things have changed when they offer financing with a fill-up.”
At the center of the din, three tables stood, one for a local group called Harvard Resists that helped organize the day’s rally, and two for the League of Women Voters of Harvard (LWV). When asked about her most serious concern with the present administration, Lindsay Hunt of Harvard Resists and Old Littleton Road said, “It’s the decay of democracy and democratic norms; it’s terrifying.” Bob Benson, also of Harvard Resists and South Shaker Road, said, “The National Institutes of Health is being decimated, and this institution targets important stuff like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Trump is blowing up startups.”
Mario Cardenas of Oak Hill Road, and one of Harvard Resists’ leading members, had the most to say. “Protest is political muscle, and we need to put this engine into ‘drive.’ … You have an executive branch that’s going unchecked because the legislative one won’t stand up to Trump. It’s pathetic and tragic for this country. … Today is about public service, not self service! No one is getting rich out here.”
According to Rahsaan D. Hall, president and chief executive of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, 169 demonstrations took place across the state on Saturday, and of course, Harvard was one of them. In addition, a recent poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that 72% of Massachusetts residents disapprove of Trump’s overall performance, driven largely by fears that he threatens democracy.
Sue Tokay of LWV and Withington Lane would understand that recent poll: “There have been so many violations to the Constitution. Just pick one; pick five.” Jackie Normand, also of LWV and Stow Road, expressed her dismay: “I’m energized by this crowd, but usually, I feel devastated. I hate reading the news. Every day there’s a new, coordinated attack, and you see this with voting rights and the SAVE Act. More and more stuff is being planned [by the Trump administration], and I have grandchildren.”
The SAVE Act is a bill that would require citizens to provide paperwork in addition to their sworn voter registration form showing that the person is a U.S. citizen. For many people, that would mean providing a passport or a birth certificate to register to vote or update their registration.
A whole host of signs, from serious to comical, also expressed disapproval for President Trump and his administration:
“Trump isn’t governing. He’s looting.”
“No more toddler President!”
“Clean up on Aisle 47!”
One sign, with colorful styrofoam balls taped all over the front, read, “Free balls: For members of Congress who have lost theirs.”
But Terry Symula of Candleberry Lane saw reason to be optimistic: “At the first [No Kings] rally, you saw mostly gray hair, but today I’m seeing a lot of young energy. Look at the families and the children. This is new and different from the first one.”
Protestors gather on the Common with flags and homemade signs with messages in criticism of the Trump administration.