Round 3 of No Kings protests coming to metro-east & St. Louis. Here’s when & where
Another round of “No Kings” protests will be held in southwest Illinois and across the U.S Saturday, March 28.
More than 700 protestors attended a “No Kings” protest at Belleville’s downtown Public Square in October, and an estimated 7 million attended the demonstrations nationwide.
The protests are against President Donald Trump and come as tensions rise due to the activity of federal immigration authorities and a controversial war between the U.S. and Iran.
“We’re coming together again on March 28 to make it clear to the president that his fear and intimidation aren’t working. In America, we have NO KINGS and power still belongs to the people,” No Kings organizers wrote in a recent social media post.
Organizers expect “record-setting attendance” at the March 28 events, and more than 3,000 protests are planned for that day.
“Last October, more than seven million Americans made history, making No Kings in October the largest single day of protest in America so far. On March 28, we’ll be out in even greater numbers,” Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a March 18 No Kings news release. “This unprecedented mobilization is the American people saying NO to President Trump’s violent, inhumane treatment of our immigrant neighbors, attacks on our freedom of speech and voting rights, and the weaponization of the federal government. The best way to defend our freedoms is to act free — now more than ever. See you on March 28th.”
No Kings organizers describe the protests as peaceful and nonviolent. They advise attendees to try to de-escalate any potential confrontation and avoid bringing weapons, even when legally permitted.
The Belleville Police Department is “situationally aware” of Saturday’s protest planned at Public Square, Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan, acting chief of police, told the News-Democrat in a Thursday email.
“We do not anticipate any road closure, and historically we have not had significant issues related to the ‘No Kings’ events,” Heffernan wrote.
Here’s what to know about the local protests Saturday.
Where will protests be held in southwest Illinois?
As of March 26, 14 No Kings protests are planned in the metro-east and greater St. Louis area. More than 50 are planned across Illinois.
Here’s where and when metro-east protests are planned for Saturday:
- Belleville: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. downtown at Public Square
- O’Fallon: 10 to noon at O’Fallon City Hall, 255 S. Lincoln Ave.
- Edwardsville: 3 to 5 p.m. at City Park, 101 S. Buchanan St.
- Columbia: 10 to noon at Columbia City Hall, 208 S. Rapp Ave.
- Centralia: 10 to noon at Fairview Park, W. McCord St. and Buena Vista Terrace (by the skate park)
- Alton: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lincoln/Douglas Square, 100 Market St.
No Kings protests will also be held in Mount Vernon, Greenville and several St. Louis-area locales.
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