Organizers are expecting a large turnout for the third No Kings protest in the west suburbs, citing the growth of planned protests over the last year.
About 3 million participated nationally in the “Hands Off” rally in April; the first “No Kings” in June attracted 5 million. The second “No Kings” drew 7 million in October, according to Mike Waters, who helped organize protests in La Grange affiliated with the national events. “Hopefully, we’ll top that again on March 28,” he said.
For No Kings 3, people will line a street in Western Springs — and in many other Chicago area communities — on March 28 to again protest the policies and actions of President Donald Trump and his administration.
Millions are expected to attend rallies nationwide, organizers said. And, yes, they think the protests are making an impact and will lead to change.
The biggest area rally is planned for 1:30 p.m.in Chicago’s Grant Park. Many local protests are being held earlier to give participants time to head downtown.
The protest in Western Springs is set for 9:30 to 11 a.m. along Willow Springs Road between 50th and 53rd streets, said Waters, a La Grange resident.
Waters, 67, and Mary Ann Quinlan, 68, of Western Springs, are part of the leadership group of Indivisible West Suburban Chicago, a grassroots organization that opposes Trump, his administration and its policies.
With the big downtown rally at 1:30 p.m., “we decided to have our event in the morning so people didn’t have to choose between the two,” Waters said.
Some, he said, may attend both rallies.
Waters and Quinlan think the No Kings movement is gaining steam. “Definitely,” Waters said.
“For our local chapter, membership has doubled since Trump’s second election. We have about 3,000 people on the mailing list and we have about 2,500 Facebook followers,” Waters said.
Indivisible West Suburban Chicago is one of about 2,500 chapters nationwide. Nationally, membership has quadrupled in the past year, Waters said.
He thinks speaking out can make a difference.
“Protests won women the right to vote. Protests led to the adoption of the Civil Rights Act. Protests hastened the end of the Vietnam War. These actions do work. They do make a difference. Sometimes, it takes a little while,” Waters said.
Waters cited a study by Harvard Kennedy School professor Eric Chenoweth that determined if 3.5% of the population actively participates in sustained non-violent protests against a regime, that regime will eventually lose power.
“So, for the U.S., that would be about 11 million people. We’re on the way there,” Waters said. “Some Republicans are developing a backbone and are standing up to (Trump).”
The departures of Elon Musk and others from the administration happened “because of the protests people have been waging. We are making a difference and just have to keep it up,” Waters said.
Quinlan agreed.
“How do you know you’re making a difference? One is how the administration is kind of fumbling around. … At the beginning, they were drunk with power and overreaching in ways that upset people who voted for them, let alone those who didn’t,” she said.
The war in Iran, the immigration enforcement blitz and aggressive actions by federal agencies, the SAVE Act “and basically everything in between that the Trump Administration is doing” has served to increase the outrage builds and get more people involved,” Waters said.
Seeing opposition to Trump grow has been “heartening, encouraging, because it makes a difference. We truly believe that these types of non-violent, grass roots movements do make a difference,” Waters said.
Waters and Quinlan are glad previous No Kings rallies have been peaceful and not nasty, except for a few comments on some signs that can’t be shared in a family newspaper.
Quinlan is proud protesters have ignored MAGA supporters who have driven past, waving flags, honking horns and shouting insults during previous events.
“You don’t engage. We’re not there to fight them,” she said. “There are more of us than there are of them. … Being emotionally reactive to them is not beneficial.”
Waters said the group will warmly welcome those who have soured on Trump as president.
“It’s OK, if you voted for Trump, to admit you were wrong, that you made a mistake. And we welcome you to our side. We’re trying to appeal to their sense of ‘right.’
“Activism is uncomfortable. It’s something a lot of people have never done. It’s daunting. We’re trying to show people there is strength in numbers, that it is okay to jump into the pool and join us,” Waters said.
Billed as a way to prevent voting fraud, the SAVE Act is nothing more than an attempt to suppress Democratic voters, Waters said
He urged people to reach out to their elected officials about opposing the bill, Waters added.
Quinlan said the movement has taught her a lot.
“All the ICE deployments evolved over time and escalated. And the response has become more organized and sophisticated. More people know what to do,” she said.
Quinlan expects many from the morning protest in Western Springs and other towns will head downtown to Grant Park.
Last week, a “No Kings 3 Kickoff Call” on YouTube featured several speakers from national organizations urging people to get involved.
Speaker Maria Stephan, co-lead and chief organizer of The Horizons Project, said “we need to be able to disrupt the status quo.”
Dozens of area protests are planned for March 28 including 10:30 a.m. in Forest Park, Villa Park, Lombard, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton; and 11 a.m. in Addison, Bolingbrook Cicero, Lisle, Lockport, Oak Park, Orland Park and Lisle.
A full list and more information is at www.nokings.org.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
