A third wave of No Kings protests erupted nationwide on March 28, 2026, protesting the Iran War, suppression of the Epstein files and other developments from the Trump administration. Hundreds gathered at Raleigh’s No Kings Protest, which occurred at the State Capitol Building and the nearby streets.

The No Kings movement began with public outcry across the U.S. on June 14, 2025 to coincide with President Trump’s birthday celebration and military parade. Each of the three protests has come with a different focus in criticizing the Trump administration.

The protests have drawn significant turnout throughout the nation, reaching around seven million participants at the second wave on Oct. 18, 2025. No Kings organizes each demonstration as a peaceful accessibility-focused and police compliant protest.

At the Raleigh demonstration, attendees organized at 11 a.m. and headed to the State Capitol Building. Protestors began filtering into the lawn at 1 p.m. as energy rose. Speakers were on stage, expressing dissatisfaction with the current administration and focusing their dissent primarily on the 2026 Iran War.

Once everyone had made it to the lawn, energy began to drop, though most participants stuck around and some joined in afterwards. The protest officially ended at 3 p.m., but some protestors stayed for half an hour longer.
The age range was much wider than most protests, which tend to skew towards young adults. Many families were present, with children ranging from sitting on their dad’s shoulders ages to high-schoolers. There were, of course, college students present — including NC State’s College Democrats. Many protestors were middle-aged or older, including some who needed mobility aids to participate.

Several tables were set up in the courtyard beside the Capitol for self-promotion with political groups making up most of those organizations. The American Civil Liberties Union and Moms Demand Action were two of the more global organizations in attendance, but others such as the Wake North Carolina Association of Educators were more locally oriented. All tables saw good foot traffic during the event, particularly at both ends of the protest.

Michael D. Williams, a queer veteran, was one of many older protestors attending due to his frustrations with the whole Trump administration. “I served in the military to ensure that our opinions were heard,” said Williams. “There hasn’t been a single policy of Trump’s that I have agreed with. Probably the loudest and most egregious is sending us into an unlawful war. That’s massive. Most of it has been officially declared through Congress. There’s been no viable argument. There never was a viable argument.”

Williams also voiced his displeasure with the Democratic Party’s handling of the election in 2024. “We should have had an open primary. There should have been an opportunity for us all to voice our opinion and really help, possibly push our party forward, where it could be doing the proper things to defend us against this.”

Chantal Stevens, Executive Director of the local American Civil Liberties Union, was also in attendance. “We believe the Constitution should be followed, and our organization basically works to defend the civil rights and civil liberties of Americans,” Stevens told The Nubian Message. “We’re seeing a lot of egregious break-in of the law. And so that’s why we’re here.”

“It gets people out here,” said Joanna Pretti, a fourth-year at NC State studying political science. “Anything that gets people mixed with people who are knowledgeable and local community organizations is a good thing. So I’m here to support that.”

Some protestors found importance in No Kings within the greater political landscape. “I think that the fight for No Kings and what’s happening in our government is so important,” said Sydney Hayes, a first-year at NC State studying psychology. “And as a student, we have such a strong voice. So coming out today was something that was so simple and to participate and kind of represent people, it’s so important.”

Other demonstrations against the Trump administration will occur soon in Raleigh, such as the May Day mobilization scheduled for May 1.