No Kings 3.0 - NYC (March 2026)
Heads Up
Up to this point my blog has largely been about my photography and adventures, which is generally what I plan to continue using it for moving forward. But this post is going to be different in the sense that it’s political. VERY political. And it’s not intending to be neutral in any way. This post isn’t going to just dip its toe into the shit-swamp of the current political climate of this country, we’re going all the way under.
I thought it was important I make that known to anyone who may be looking for a post from me about my normal topics. This isn’t it.
It’s a bumpy road ahead and this is your last exit.
No Kings 3.0
On March 28, 2026 I attended the No Kings protest in NYC, the third planned demonstration of the No Kings movement.
The point of these protests has been for people to come together to pushback against the massive abuse of power by the second Trump administration.
You don’t have to be a political scientist or constitutional scholar to see that pretty much everything being done by the Trump administration is either illegal or TOTALLY unethical. I often say that if Trump were to do anything legal it would be completely by accident.
Trump 2.0 has been a raging orgy of corruption, genoicide and vile behavior in every conceivable manner. And I’m so goddamn relieved to know that I’m far from the only one who thinks so.
You Gotta Show Up
Not only did I set out to take part in the demonstration against Trump and authoritarianism but to document it. In tow I had my trusty Minolta X-370 and a boatload of film. I ended up shooting multiple rolls of Kodak Portra 400 and a roll of Fujifilm 200. But really, this post isn’t gonna spend much time talking about film stocks or techniques. I have other things on my mind.
I had arrived at Central Park South a couple hours before the protest was set to begin and had trouble locating the meeting point. My first thought was I must be an idiot and had the location wrong. After double checking the details, I confirmed I was in the right spot. I was expecting to find an already formed mass of people, chanting and stomping their feet so intensely that the skyscrapers were swaying like tree branches in a hurricane. But those giants of steel and glass stood there silently like it was another normal day.
Where were the raging crowds?
Soon I began seeing people walking with signs by their side. I knew I was getting close and I followed the signs. Which led me to the Southwest corner of Central Park.
Gathered around the Maine Monument were various groups singing, chanting and getting ready for the march. The crowds were still thin and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
In this photo below the camera didn’t properly advance, causing two frames to slightly overlap. I love how this image brings the two scenes together, from different angles around the Maine Monument.
Over the next hour the place began to quickly fill up and I knew it was going to be a huge crowd. It became more & more difficult to circle around the monument to see what was going on. I bought a “FUCK TRUMP” pin for my jacket, an “I AM ANTIFA” pin for a good friend of mine who couldn’t join me at the protest, and a couple other fun ones to remember the day.
At this point I made my way to the street where the crowd had spilled into after growing in size by tens of thousands in a matter of minutes.
Why We March
Signs are a great way to get your message out in a crowed protest where a lone voice is drowned out. The signs at No Kings 3.0 made it very clear why people were there.
Many were Anti-ICE, for their disgusting and barbaric tactics in tearing families apart. While we’re on the topic, FUCK ICE.
Some signs were creative, others were trying to be funny. I honestly didn’t find the humor very appropriate. To me this is heavy shit we’re dealing with and we want these fuckers to know we’re serious. Being goofy isn’t really the best way to do that. But to each their own.
Overall I think there were a lot of powerful signs on display that highlighted the seriousness of the moment.
We Got the Numbers
No Kings protests were held simultaneously across all 50 states in the United States. Over 350,000 people attended protests in Manhattan alone, with over 8 million taking part Nationwide. It’s considered the largest single-day protest in the history of the United States.
The march in Manhattan began at Central Park South on 59th Street, scheduled to go down 7th Ave. to 34th Street. But the crowds swelled to such unexpected numbers that city officials also opened up Broadway. Which was a smart decision, as nobody moved an inch for the first hour of the march because of how large the crowd had grown.
What I found to be rather incredible though was the fact that they actually routed the parade directly through Times Square, the tourist capital of the city. A protest of this size moving through the heart of capitalism was something to behold. It almost didn’t feel real.
Probably the most fun I had the entire march was watching confused tourists trying to figure out what was going on. They were already overwhelmed by the glitz of Times Square, then suddenly hundreds of thousands of people come stomping through, trash-talking some orange bitch with the attitude of a sleepy toddler.
So, How Was It?
My first takeaway of No Kings 3.0 was that Trump is FUCKED. And I’m not referring to his endless list of irredeemable traits that give him that disgusting orange glow. I mean it is totally and absolutely over for him.
People have finally had it with his shit and will not put up with it any longer. He will attempt to cheat and subvert the midterms in any way he can. but it will not be enough. He can’t squirm away forever. His day is coming.
By this time next year things will be very different when our rabid president is muzzled and neutered. Our currently useless governing body called Congress will finally stand up to this human shit-stain when power shifts away from Republicans, who are the biggest cowards in America with their little pew-pews and fear of transgender people in bathrooms.
But the moment I’m truly waiting for, should his soulless shell of a body hold out long enough, is for Trump to pay for his crimes against humanity. To stand trial for his War Crimes. For his part in the Epstein Files and sending fucking ICE out to rip apart families and communities across the country. To finally be held accountable for everything he’s done, known and unknown.
That is the day we need.
I will of course still celebrate his untimely death too, any manner is acceptable.
What Can I Do?
While it was quite empowering to march with over 350,000 people to protest this evil administration, I think No Kings is barely scratching the surface of what needs to be done.
For starters, if we’re going to change anything through protest we need to go beyond one day events. I was happy to hear more & more people acknowledging that exact sentiment during this protest. We need to occupy spaces until change takes place. Otherwise we’re really just venting for the day and going back to the normal routine.
Another thing that really bothers me is who’s organizing these No Kings protests. It’s not grassroots organizations running No Kings, but a collection of multi-national organizations helmed by billionaires. I won’t go into exactly who, only because that’s an entire other discussion, but a few minutes on Google will give you a lot of insight.
While this doesn’t automatically discount No Kings as illegitimate, it does mean we can only take it so serious. It’s important to either work with or even to form actual grassroots organizations to keep the work going. Small teams working together can have big impact.
I also think No Kings spreads itself too thin by trying to be in all places at once instead of targeted protests. I get the visibility it brings, but we need more than that.
This sign below highlights my thoughts about some things as well…
Next Steps
I would still encourage people to take part in No Kings protests. While I would like to see people get more involved with other things in addition, I realize that for a lot of us even taking part in a one day protest is more than we can do. Playing ANY part on the right side of things is something to be celebrated.
May 1, 2026 is MAY DAY. It will be a General Strike across the country. On that day you’re encouraged to leave school, leave work, wherever you are walk out and get out there and protest. There will be lots of info online as the date gets closer. So tell your friends and fellow Rablle-Rousers.
I’ve been fortunate enough to meet activists at the No Kings protests who I feel know how to get shit done. People who are serious about protesting outside of just the scheduled events. Seeing the work they’re doing has deeply impressed me. One of those reminders that there are people out there ready to put in the work to actually make change happen.
Overall I walked away from this event with a lot of hope. And I’m certain we’re going to smash this fascist/authoritarian regime into tiny shitty little pieces.
As a closing thought, I fully recognize that speaking out against Trump and Trumpism alienates certain people from supporting me and the work I do.
In the famous words of George Carlin, “GOOD, FUCK EM!”
