Thousands gather for No Kings rally in Minnesota

Thousands of people across Minnesota and the U.S. took part in protests Saturday against what organizers say are the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.

The No Kings protest in St. Paul drew thousands of people to the State Capitol on Saturday, as protesters marched from three separate locations towards the Capitol building.

Minnesota State Patrol later estimated that there were around 100,000 people at the Capitol rally, while Indivisible Twin Cities, one of the event’s organizers, said that over 200,000 protestors turned out in the Twin Cities.

While on stage Saturday, Gov. Tim Walz spoke about Operation Metro Surge, which saw thousands of federal agents enter Minnesota for immigration enforcement.

“When the wannabe dictator in the White House sent his untrained, aggressive thugs to do damage to Minnesota, it was you, Minnesota, who stood up for your neighbors,” Walz said. “You are the heart and soul of what the nation saw that is good in this nation, but make no mistake about it. They did damage. They killed Renee (Good) and Alex (Pretti). They traumatized our neighbors.”

Walz called for justice for the deaths of Good and Pretti and all others affected by Operation Metro Surge.

“Don’t ever mistake our kindness for weakness. We demand justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti, we demand justice for every single person who was hurt or traumatized,” Walz said. “We will never forget what they did here.”

There were multiple other speakers at the event, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen, who performed his newly released song ‘Streets of Minneapolis.’

A livestream of the rally was broadcast on the No Kings YouTube page.

Some in the Republican Party have spoken against the protest.

Minnesota Republican Party Chair Alex Plechash called the No Kings rally a distraction from what he called a “failed DFL record.”

“The ‘No Kings’ protest is pure political theater—a distraction from a failed DFL record,” Plechash said in a statement. “When you have nothing to show, you turn to fear, slogans, and spectacle. While they protest Washington, they ignore the reality here at home—higher property taxes, higher tab fees, and new taxes on everyday life that are making Minnesota more expensive than our neighbors.”

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, issued the following statement:

“The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”

In total, there were 3,300 No Kings protests on Saturday across 16 countries, with organizers calling for a nationwide day of action on May 1, urging no work, school or shopping.