About 50 communities across New Jersey will join over 3,000 locations nationwide on Saturday for the third wave of “No Kings” protests, a coordinated demonstration against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, the ongoing war with Iran, and what organizers describe as a pattern of authoritarian governance.
The rallies, scheduled in cities and towns from Cape May Court House to Newton in Sussex County, are expected to draw thousands of demonstrators. Organizers say the March 28 events represent the largest mobilization yet in a movement that began in June 2025, when millions turned out for protests coinciding with a military parade in Washington.
“We will come together to show that our communities reject corruption, senseless war and division,” said Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, a progressive advocacy group, which is one of the organizing partners. “Instead, we welcome immigrants, believe in the rule of law and stand up for an economy that works for everyone. More of us than ever before will rise up, because America does not belong to strongmen or those who rule through fear. It belongs to us, the people.”
The protests come amid a partial government shutdown that has led to extended security lines at airports across the country, as well as rising fuel prices and a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing President Donald Trump’s approval rating at 36 percent. Organizers say the administration’s intensified immigration enforcement operations and the military conflict with Iran have galvanized new participants.
For Oscar Sevilla, a 30-year-old mechanical engineer from Long Beach, California, the administration’s immigration crackdown is personal. He attended the first two rounds of No Kings protests and plans to be at a third.
“Things were simmering at first, now it’s like the lid is about to blast off,” Sevilla said. “I still believe this country could be better, where the American dream could be real — not according to who has money, who has power.”
Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the national groups coordinating the events, said the goal is to surpass the turnout of previous mobilizations. An October 2025 protest drew an estimated 7 million participants nationwide, according to figures cited by organizers and published by Encyclopedia Britannica.
“We are all united in this fight to save our democracy from this administration, and we will win,” Levin said. “From every corner of this country, we are all saying: NO KINGS.”
The protests are organized under the banner of the 50501 Movement, a name that stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement. Partner organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union, National Nurses United, the Working Families Party, Amnesty International and several labor unions.
In New Jersey, elected officials, including Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Sen. Andy Kim, and Rep. Donald Norcross, are scheduled to appear at various rallies. State and local officials, including former state Attorney General Matt Platkin and Assemblyman Chigozie Onyema, are also expected to speak.
“No Kings rallies are important because they give everyday people and everyone in our communities the opportunity to resist and protest against Donald Trump and his administration and all of the crazy things that they’re doing,” McIver said. “The key message is to basically reject Donald Trump and his administration’s agenda and to remind people that this country does not have kings.”
Analilia Mejia, the Democratic candidate in the April 16 special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, said the demonstrations reflect the highest form of democratic participation.
“Our democracy depends on the full participation of us as citizenry,” Mejia said. “When we take direct action, when we organize and have peaceful demonstrations in order to both inform our neighbors and to also make demands of our government, that is the highest form of democracy. The truth is, our government has been taken over by ideological extremists who are content to strip the American people of their constitutional rights, their constitutional civil liberties, and we have to stand up for each other.”
In Maplewood, the South Orange-Maplewood Action coalition is sponsoring an event featuring music, children’s activities and student speakers from local high schools and Seton Hall University.
“We will showcase the community,” said Allison Posner, co-president of SOMA Action. “It is more than just a protest. We will make a movement, have music and be joyful. Show what the power of the people can do. We are getting back to hyperlocal organizing, showing how to build resistance to authoritarianism on your street, your neighborhood.”
Posner said she will bring her two young children to the rally.
“Kids feel injustice strongly,” she said. “They know you should protect your neighbor. They take it as a given. They know a bully when they see one.”
MoveOn activist Lisa McCormick said the sustained protests have already produced measurable results.
“Protests won women the right to vote,” McCormick said. “Protests led to the adoption of the Civil Rights Act. Protests hastened the end of the Vietnam War. These actions do work. They do make a difference. Sometimes, it takes a little while.”
McCormick cited research by Harvard Kennedy School professor Erica Chenoweth, who found that nonviolent protests involving 3.5 percent of a population reliably lead to political change.
“For the U.S., that would be about 11 million people,” McCormick said. “We’re on the way there. Some Republicans are finally developing a backbone and are standing up to Trump, after his Epstein files cover-up and this unprovoked Iran war.”
In Camden, where a rally is scheduled at Roosevelt Plaza Park, Antoinette Miles, state director of the Working Families Party, said the focus should extend beyond the president.
“We are rightly focused on Trump,” Miles said. “But there’s an entire billionaire class that’s throwing its weight around, and they’ll be there long after Trump is gone.”
Organizers said smaller community events are designed to be accessible to elderly participants, people with disabilities and parents with young children. In Somerville, the Somerset County Indivisible chapter is planning a midday gathering that organizers said would demonstrate to local residents that opposition to the administration exists within their own communities.
Jimmy Small, president of the Muslim League of Voters, noted that the country’s founding was a rejection of monarchy.
“The women’s marches, the anti-war movement — these things do work,” Small said. “If you’re elected or running for office and want to get elected, you need to listen to the people.”
Liz Glynn, director of organizing for New Jersey Citizen Action, said the demonstrations would highlight the effects of federal policy on household costs.
“The actions and policies of the Trump administration and our Republican-controlled Congress have continued to wreak havoc for New Jersey families by driving up costs for essential needs like food, healthcare, utilities and gas,” Glynn said. “We’ll be rallying in Somerville to shine a spotlight on Kean’s silence on these issues and how he has failed to fight for his constituents.”
Organizers have emphasized that all events are intended to be nonviolent. A statement from No Kings organizers said participants should seek to de-escalate potential confrontations and that weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.
Law enforcement agencies said they are preparing for the demonstrations.
“We are aware of a planned demonstration this weekend,” a law enforcement spokesperson said in a statement. “While we encourage our community to safely and peacefully exercise your First Amendment rights, we remind everyone that criminal activity will not be tolerated. Anyone engaging in unlawful activity, including vandalism, destruction of property or assault, will be held accountable.”
The first No Kings protests in June 2025 drew millions to cities including Los Angeles, where the event was peaceful for several hours before police and demonstrators clashed. Authorities used flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas after some protesters threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers, according to published reports.
President Trump dismissed the earlier demonstrations in an interview with the BBC in October.
“You know — they’re referring to me as a king,” Trump said. “I’m not a king.”
In New Jersey, rallies are scheduled in about 50 municipalities, including Newark, Jersey City, Camden, Princeton, Morristown, Trenton, Atlantic City, Toms River, Teaneck, Rutherford, Somerville, Glassboro, Montclair, and Newton.
A complete list is available at nokings.org.
The third round of protests, organizers said, reflects a sustained level of engagement that has not diminished since the election.
“For our local chapter, membership has doubled since Trump’s second election,” said a leader of a local Indivisible group who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal organizing. “We have about 3,000 people on the mailing list and about 2,500 Facebook followers.”
Nationally, the group’s membership has quadrupled in the past year, the organizer said.
Mike Waters, who has helped organize protests in Illinois affiliated with the national events, said he expects turnout to exceed previous mobilizations. About 3 million participated in a “Hands Off” rally in April 2025, he said. The first No Kings protests in June drew 5 million, and the October events drew 7 million.
“Hopefully, we’ll top that again on March 28,” Waters said.
In New Jersey, the demonstrations will unfold across all 21 counties, from courthouse squares to municipal greens to intersections along state highways. Organizers said the geographic spread is intentional: a visible reminder that the opposition is not confined to cities.
“We will come together because silence is not an option,” the No Kings organizing coalition said in a statement. “On March 28th, rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. We’re not watching history happen — we’re making it.”
New Jersey No Kings Events (March 28, 2026)
To sign‑up for any of these, visit the No Kings Mobilize map, enter the city or zip code, and click the event marker.
| Location | Time (EST) |
|---|---|
| Lambertville | 10:00 AM |
| Oradell (Schirra Park) | 10:00 AM |
| Ocean City (55 W 9th St.) | 10:00 AM |
| Mountainside (City Hall) | 10:00 AM |
| Phillipsburg | 10:00 AM |
| Bloomfield (1 Municipal Plaza) | 10:00 AM |
| Princeton (Monument Park) | 10:00 AM |
| Camden (City Hall / Roosevelt Plaza Park) | 11:00 AM |
| Newton (Newton Green) | 11:00 AM |
| Bridgewater (Somerset County) | 11:00 AM |
| Hightstown | 11:00 AM |
| Wayne | 11:00 AM |
| Morristown (200 South St.) | 11:00 AM |
| South Orange (Maplewood Town Hall) | 12:00 PM |
| North Plainfield (US 22 & West End Ave) | 12:00 PM |
| Closter (Closter Plaza) | 12:00 PM |
| Glen Ridge (Ridgewood & Bloomfield Aves) | 12:00 PM |
| Newark (12 Springfield Ave.) | 12:00 PM |
| Highland Park (Farmers Market) | 12:00 PM |
| Trenton (125 W State St.) | 12:00 PM |
| Berlin (59 S White Horse Pike) | 12:00 PM |
| Galloway (Township Municipal Complex) | 12:00 PM |
| Pine Hill (Branch Ave. & Erial Road) | 12:00 PM |
| Toms River (1055 Hooper Ave.) | 12:00 PM |
| Lakewood (Route 70 & Airport Road) | 12:00 PM |
| Hackettstown (Main Street) | 12:20 PM |
| West Caldwell (Crane Park) | 1:00 PM |
| Denville | 1:00 PM |
| Weehawken (Hamilton Park) | 1:00 PM |
| Teaneck (Teaneck Municipal Green) | 1:00 PM |
| Piscataway (455 Hoes Lane) | 1:00 PM |
| Rutherford | 1:00 PM |
| Monroe (Perrineville & Prospect Plains Rds) | 1:00 PM |
| Cape May (Cape May Courthouse) | 1:00 PM |
| Montville (195 Changebridge Rd) | 1:30 PM |
| Tinton Falls (Asbury Ave & Green Grove Rd) | 2:00 PM |
| Freehold | 2:00 PM |
| Hopewell | 2:00 PM |
| Glassboro (William Dalton & Delsea Drives) | 2:00 PM |
| LBI (Ship Bottom) (382 W 9th St.) | 2:00 PM |
| Frenchtown | 3:00 PM |
| Atlantic City (Police Department) | 3:00 PM |
| Lacey Township (Municipal Building) | 3:30 PM |
| Rahway (St. Georges & West Grand Aves) | 4:00 PM |