Minnesota’s State Capitol grounds became the national focal point of the third No Kings day of protest Saturday, drawing an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people to St. Paul for a rally that organizers say was the largest in state history.
Tens of thousands gathered at the Capitol as part of the national No Kings day of protest, with speakers and performers decrying the Trump administration’s policies. The event was part of a coordinated nationwide effort — the No Kings Coalition announced Sunday that more than 8 million people participated in over 3,300 protests across all 50 states, which organizers called the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history. Independent verification of those figures was not immediately available.
Crowd estimates for the St. Paul rally varied significantly by source. Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety put the crowd at 100,000, double the State Patrol’s earlier estimate of 50,000. Organizers claimed 200,000.
Marching from three fronts
Protests began at noon across three sites in St. Paul (Harriet Island, St. Paul College and Western Sculpture Park) before culminating on the Capitol grounds. The convergence of three separate marches on a blustery day created an atmosphere that attendees described as both electric and purposeful.
Though three official marches took place, a significant number of people gathered near the St. Paul Capitol Building from various locations. Thousands participated in what felt like unofficial marches, walking from their parking spots and transit hubs.
Why Minnesota?
Minnesota was chosen as the main protest site because of the recent impacts of Operation Metro Surge, which some protesters described as an erosion of democracy. The federal operation deployed thousands of immigration enforcement agents across the Twin Cities metro area earlier this year and resulted in the deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by federal agents.
Gov. Tim Walz took the stage dressed in flannel, attacking President Trump and applauding Minnesotans for standing up to the administration during Operation Metro Surge — the incursion of 3,000 federal immigration officers that led to the death of two American citizens and the trampling of the constitutional rights of immigrants and citizens alike, he said.
Organizer Zach Lindstrom, with the grassroots protest movement 50501, said he wanted Minnesota to be the flagship protest site because of President Donald Trump’s targeting of the state.
The Department of Homeland Security sent more than 4,000 agents to Minnesota in preparation for the widespread protests and gatherings across the state Saturday. No major incidents were reported.
Sanders, Springsteen and a stage full of voices
Sen. Bernie Sanders, actor and activist Jane Fonda and rock legend Bruce Springsteen all took to the stage during the nearly three-hour event. The lineup also included folk legend Joan Baez, singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
Sanders drew from the nation’s founding documents to frame the movement’s message. “In 1789, they said loudly and boldly to the world that in this new nation of America, we don’t want kings,” the Vermont senator told the crowd. He added that the message from the crowd gathered in St. Paul was exactly the same — that the American people would not allow the country to descend into authoritarianism or oligarchy.
Sanders addressed the killings of Good and Pretti, calling them “two brave Americans” who “lost their lives in the struggle,” and warned of what he called “an unprecedented and dangerous moment in American history.”
“When historians write about this dangerous moment in American history,” Sanders said, “when they write about courage and sacrifice, the people of Minnesota will deserve a special chapter.”
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Springsteen, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, called Minnesota an inspiration to the rest of the country. “Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare and these invasions of American cities will not stand,” he said.
Springsteen performed his song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote in response to the deaths of Good and Pretti during Operation Metro Surge. The crowd chanted “ICE out now” alongside him.
Fonda opted not to make a speech, instead reading a statement from Becca Good, the wife of Renee Good. Rep. Ilhan Omar also addressed the crowd, declaring that “we are built different” in Minnesota.
Protesters held up a massive sign on the Capitol steps that captured the day’s defiant spirit: “We had whistles, they had guns. The revolution starts in Minneapolis.”
GOP responds
With many Democrats joining the No Kings rally, the Minnesota GOP released a statement saying, in part, that “the irony of this protest is hard to miss,” and that those behind it were not fighting for democracy but rather defending a “political dynasty of one-party rule, reckless spending, and government overreach.” The statement did not address Operation Metro Surge. Two GOP representatives also wrote to the state Department of Administration, expressing concern about banners displayed at the Capitol.
As of Sunday morning, President Trump had not publicly commented on the No Kings protests. On Truth Social, he posted about striking Iran and called for ending the Senate filibuster.
What comes next
The movement is focused on protesting the Trump administration’s policies and energizing voters ahead of the midterm elections in November. Indivisible Twin Cities is planning further action, including another national strike on May 1.
Saturday’s rally was the third of its kind. The previous two rounds drew an estimated 5 million participants in June 2025 and 7 million in October 2025, making the trajectory of participation a central talking point for organizers.
