Thousands return to Oregon Capitol to protest Trump administration for ‘No Kings III’

A flag waves at Salem's 'No Kings' rally on March 28, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers.

Thousands of people gathered outside the Oregon Capitol on a sunny afternoon this Saturday at “No Kings III” to protest actions by the Trump administration. 

Part of a nationwide “No Kings” rally with over 3,000 other demonstrations across the country, the March 28 event saw a crowd of about 5,000, fewer than previous “No Kings” rallies and below organizers’ estimates. Attendees were just as concerned, however, with the Trump administration, as many protested against the U.S. actions in the Iran war, treatment of immigrants and dual citizens, and attacks on voting rights.

Among the attendees was the Bennette family, which had nearly 20 family members come out to the event. Most of the family walked down State Street from Lancaster Drive NE to the Capitol, about a 3-mile walk. 

“I think there might be somewhere close to about 20 of us in our family that will be here. So it’s really turned into a family affair,” said Wende Bennette-Kirkland. “We need to end the policing of our First Amendment rights, and we also need to fight for equality for all of our neighbors.”

Bennette-Kirkland held a sign calling for the end of Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for more political spending, while her sister, Elizabeth, carried a sign depicting a pig styled to look like Trump. Her father, Greg Bennette, who is also a veteran, held a sign saying “No ICE, No MAGA, No Fear, No Kings.”

Members of the Bennette family, including sisters Wende, Elizabeth and their father Greg, pose with handmade posters at the "No Kings" rally on March 28, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers.

The event had several notable speakers, including an appearance from U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. He spoke to the crowd about his concerns about the war in Iran, the SAVE Act and tariffs.

“I never thought in a million years we would have an authoritarian this close to turning us into an enduring strongman state,” Merkley said. “Let’s save our republic,” he added to the sound of applause. 

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield also spoke at the Salem rally. He championed continued participation in U.S. democracy, especially through voting. Additionally, he spoke out against the Trump administration, saying, “This country … does not derive its power from manufacturing crisis after crisis to maintain control.”

Cameron and Annmarie Jones were registered Republicans until 2015, when they left the party over Trump. They have been to over 10 protests since Trump’s return to office, including this “No Kings” event. 

“In 2015, my party elected Donald Trump in their primary as the Republican candidate, and I said, ‘There’s no way I can be in a party that would bring that clown as their representative,’” Cameron said.

For Annmarie, she finds many of the current events shocking, and a far cry to how she was first introduced to Trump on his TV show, “The Apprentice,” a business-based competition series. 

“We watched him for entertainment. We didn’t want him to entertain us in the White House,” Annmarie said. “He’s hurting the whole world. He’s not just hurting us.”

Both spoke to their concerns about Trump’s presidency, like voter suppression tactics and seeing more ICE agents wearing masks, to the ways the government is now communicating to their citizens. 

“I think we need to do everything as citizens to lawfully resist all the horrible things he’s doing,” Cameron said.

Evan and Kathleen Krauss are former employees of the federal government. Working for the federal government meant that they weren’t allowed to attend protests, but in Kathleen’s words, “We are retired now, so we can say whatever the hell we want.” The pair are Salem locals and have attended all three “No Kings” protests, along with others. 

Evan is “an old historian” who shared his worries about “the strain of fascist Americanism” that can be traced back to the Japanese internment camps of World War II. He added that one of his reasons for attending was to show “there are more of us than there are of you.”

Also among the protesters were a couple of Willamette students. 

“Democracy is a good thing fundamentally,” said Rohn Anderson (’29).

Anderson shared that they are “not the biggest fan of ‘No Kings’ as an organization” since they “don’t have any direct thing that they’re protesting.” 

Despite their question about how effective the rally will actually be in inspiring change, Anderson still noted its value.

“It tells people in charge, ‘Hey, it’s bad.’ But two, and I think more importantly, it tells people who aren't a big fan of everything else going on, ‘You’re not alone.’” 

Becca Ray (’29), another Willamette student, shared that they came to the protest to stand up against ICE and “the things that Trump has done.” 

Ray added, “I think it's good to make those beliefs known and to try and fight back against what's happening right now in the world.”

Editor's note: Portions of this article were first published in the Oregon Capital Chronicle and States Newsroom as part of their live coverage.