Three marches. One message. No Kings.
The third No Kings march is scheduled nationwide as well as in Chico for March 28, when protesters will take to the streets — or in this case the sidewalks — to join a movement designed to put the status quo on notice.
The No Kings 3 march has been billed as a mobilization to defend democracy, a “national day of peaceful protest against the Trump administration’s rapid expansion of executive power and authoritarian policies,” according to a press release from the local Defenders of Democracy coalition.
“Nobody is coming to save us,” said Bill Bynum, who belongs to the Veteran Action Group that is part of the coalition. “We’ve realized that if we want the crown to stay in the history books, we have to be the ones holding the line.”
The 1.8-mile march marks a departure from previous demonstrations, beginning at 11 a.m. at 10th Avenue and Esplanade near the Chico Nut Company. To ensure safety, approximately 45 monitors will be stationed at intersections to direct traffic, and participants will be asked to walk on sidewalks. Multiple entrance points will be available to accommodate those unable to walk the entire route.
The march will end at the Our Hands sculpture downtown and be followed by a festival in the plaza, beginning at noon and open to all residents. The event will feature live music by The California Moonshine, Electric Spaghetti Machine, and Debajito. A number of local vendors, including Tacos Tania and Chico Natural Foods, will provide food.
The previous marches had attendee counts spanning into the thousands across the North State. Additionally, the second No Kings March, which occurred in October, is believed to be the largest public march in Chico’s history. The Defenders of Democracy Coalition estimates close to 6,000 individuals participated, and were among an estimated 7 million people who turned out for 2,700 marches across the country.
As hundreds of local chapters prepare to converge on their respective communities, the March 28 mobilization serves as a high-stakes litmus test for the public’s appetite for systemic reform on hotly contested topics ranging from immigration to inflation. Such issues are supercharging the resistance, said Laurel Avalon, a key organizer who will be co-leading the march.
“The fear is real and people are discouraged, but [the work] has to get done,” she notes. “In order to be successful in what we want, which is the restoration and strength of our democracy, we have to be there to speak out against the unconstitutional things that [the Trump administration] is doing, the cruel things, the attacks on civil liberties. It’s our job to speak out on all of that.”
Catherine Cottle, a steering committee member for Indivisible Chico, views growing opposition to the action in Iran as a turning point. “Some call it the War of Choice, and while others would disagree with that, none of us approve of the Iranian government today,” Cottle asserts. “We are not anti-troop. We just don’t want to see any more of our troops put in harm’s way or die.”
The march and the Festival for Democracy are both hosted by Indivisible Chico and supported by the coalition — a collaboration including Chico Peace Alliance (CPA), Veteran Action Group, Re-Sisters, the Butte Environmental Council (BEC), the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Group, the Democratic Action Club of Chico (DACC), Butte County Democrats, Concerned Community 4 Justice (CC4J) and the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs.
The No Kings movement began as a single protest, staged nationally, building on earlier “Hands Off” demonstrations to protest the policies of President Donald Trump and his administration. Since the initial demonstration in June 2025, No Kings has evolved into an ongoing movement.
“No Kings is not just a slogan or a single day of action,” Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, shared with the American Civil Liberties Union in January. “It’s a principle we carry every day as we stand in solidarity with communities being harmed … and confront authoritarianism wherever it shows up – from Los Angeles to Minneapolis.”
LeAnn Jenswold, founder of the Re-Sisters, believes Chico is poised to reflect the growing opposition at the national level. “We have more people, including people who have never protested before,” Jenswold says. “It’s really, really, really important to build community … we link arms, we stand together.”
With the influx of new marchers, Jenswold is stressing a strict “safety-first” approach. She urges all participants to refrain from engaging with opposition or counter-protesters, emphasizing that staying focused on the message and avoiding confrontation is the most effective way to ensure everyone remains safe.
Indivisible Chico, which also fronted the cost of the event, is accepting donations and actively seeks volunteers for set-up and clean-up. To sign up to help visit its website.
Ashley-Michelle Arnold is a journalist and a contributor to ChicoSol.
4 Comments
Just as a point of order: Indivisible Chico receives its funding and support from this community.
Thank you guys for coming together to make this possible! Thank you to the city foe your support as well! Let’s all have a march and a gathering to rekindle our sense of community and our commitment to democracy!
Great article. One thing to make clear, the March culminates at the city HANDS sculpture. Then after the March folks are able to walk right over to attend the wonderful Rally at the city plaza. Two separate yet supportive events.
Thank you Kathy Faith, we clarified our story to explain this.
Where will the entry points to the march tomorrow? Specific or general?