No Kings Rally, St. Paul, Minnesota at the Capitol. March 28, 2026
Sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s drew over 200,000 to the capitol in St. Paul. The cold gusts of wind did not matter. Hassles with parking did not matter. People of all ages, abilities, ethnicities and faiths joined a celebration of resilience and lifted their voices to express commitment to building a better world. There were prayers, songs, and speeches. Celebrity appendences by Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez, underscored the way that people around the nation regarded Minnesota’s defiance of ICE. Local officials including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Kieth Ellison, and MN State Representative Ilhan Omar gave speeches. Robert De Nero sent his regards and praise via digital video. The event showcased Minnesotans’ regard for humanity.
Speakers repeatedly thanked Minnesotans for their courage and resilience. They acknowledge that Minnesotans’ response to Metro Surge was a national example of peaceful opposition to ICE’s presence and conduct, and the willingness of neighbors and strangers to support neighbors and strangers facing state-sponsored terrorism.
We celebrated today the people who delivered food and ran errands for those who were self-sequestered and too frightened to leave their homes; the people who drove kids to school and then back again as parents were afraid to leave the house; the people who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help pay the rent and utilities for people who closed their shops and stopped going to work for fear that ICE would seize them on the job; the people who kept neighborhood watch and warned their friends about the presence of ICE agents; the people who risked being arrested, assaulted or killed as they video recorded the way ICE agents treated dissenters; the people who took up the cause of legal defense for those who had no resources to do so; the people who spoke truth to power.
Speeches and posters decried the war in Iran, the ill treatment of immigrants, the president’s distain for the Constitution and morality, the unjust system of taxes that polarize the rich and poor, the desire of courts and Congress to deprive women of control over their bodies, the support for Zionism and its persecution of Palestinians, the government’s attack on unions, and Congressional compliance with executive abuse of power.
At the beginning of the event, the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus sang “We Shall Overcome.” Many in the crowd joined in. Many were in tears. Like myself, they were old enough to remember singing that song in our youth as we stood in solidarity with the despised and solemnly pledged ourselves to working for justice and peace.
It is difficult to say how much of an impact demonstrations and speeches have on lawmaking, law enforcement, and people’s commitment to resolve conflict in ways where all stakeholder’s take responsibility. The speeches and demonstrations are, however, are part of the ritual of change. They testify to the reality that there are dissenters doing what they can to topple an unjust and cruel status quo. They shout hope in the face of despair, if not for the sake of social change, but for the sake of the wellness of their own souls.
Link: Brue Springsteen “Streets of Minneapolis” Bing Videos
Link: Governor Tim Walz Speech: Bing Videos
Link: Bernie Sander’s Speech: Bing Videos
Link: Jane Fonda Reads Letter of Rebecca Good, wife of Renee Good, shot dead by ICE agents. Bing Videos
Link: State Representative Ilhan Omar Speech Bing Videos
