Staff Writer- Sam Paulsen
At 11:00 a.m. on March 28th, 2026, in Minnesota Square Park, St. Peter will experience its third No Kings Protest. The No Kings Protests are nationwide nonviolent demonstrations opposing the current presidential administration. These protests are led and organized by a group called Indivisible, a national organization formed after the 2016 presidential election, focused on resistance to authoritarianism. Indivisible contains many local grassroots groups, including Indivisible St. Peter and Greater Mankato, the organizing group for this specific protest.
This event is also co-sponsored by the Gustavus Campus Democrats as well as the Minnesota State University Mankato College Democrats, with members of each group playing a role in helping organize the event.
“I think it’s a good way for students to get involved without a big time or money commitment, and as the younger generation, it is important to show where we want our country to be and where we want it to go,” Gustavus Campus Democrats President and Senior Samantha Szymanowski said.
The younger generation is something that Indivisible and both Campus Democrats organizations hope will show up to protest in strong numbers.
“You are the next generation of politicians and decision makers. You will have to live with the world the longest. Entering into a political world, you are next impacted by the decision being right now,” Gustavus Campus Democrats Treasurer and Sophomore Emily Haefner said.
According to the Gustavus Campus Democrats, they are hoping for a few hundred students to join in the protest in whatever way they can. There are over 3,000 No Kings protests planned nationwide for March 28th, 2026, over 300 more than the previous No Kings protest in October.
“You are learning about the world that you are living in, and you are learning about your civic place in it. As a voter and citizen, whether you like it or not, everything you do is political,” Haefner said.
As an organization, Indivisible is focused on creating change through local communities rather than political offices. One of the focuses of the group is that of community and standing up for your neighbors in times of need. Organizers of this protest hope they can show that community is what is important in perceived times of turmoil.
“Political action is one of many ways we can build community with one another. We help each other and engage with one another in so many ways every single day, whether we are face-to-face or not. Community is something that I’ve seen really come to life this year in Minnesota—despite the tragedy that came with the ICE occupation, we found that our strength is in our communities and our connections with our neighbors. Community is the best way to resist. No one stands alone,” Haefner said.
The local chapter of Indivisible in St. Peter and Mankato is run by a small group of people in the community who work to organize protests such as No Kings, as well as holding community-wide solidarity events. This group of leaders is made up for a diverse background of individuals who each aim to bring unique perspectives to the mission of the organization.
“Gustavus students should care because metaphorically speaking we’re up next to at. We’re now responsible for the functioning of our society in a way that we weren’t when we were kids” Gustavus Campus Democrats Events Coordinator and Indivisible Leadership Team Member and First-year Alex Bur said.
The flagship event for these nationwide protests will be occurring in the Twin Cities with a variety of guest speakers such as U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Actress Jane Fonda, and more.
“It is our turn to loudly proclaim, like every generation of Americans who came before us, that there will be no kings in America,” Bur said.
The main purpose of these protests from Indivisible is to express concern that the current President Donald Trump has expanded the scope of presidential authority. What Indivisible aims to do is to unite the American people under the common idea that America is a democracy and not a dictatorship.
“Donald Trump’s unconstitutional actions are hurting our friends and neighbors in Southern Minnesota,” Indivisible Leadership Team Member Barb Larson Taylor Said.
“Masked ICE agents at school bus stops. Slashing support that feeds the hungry. Starting a war without Congressional approval that’s driving up prices at the pump and costing U.S. taxpayers over a billion dollars a day. These are the actions of a man who is hungry for power, no matter what it means for the rest of us.” Larson added.
Individuals attending the protest will also have the opportunity to show up early at 10:00 a.m. on the day of the protest to rehearse resistance singing (a way of using song to protest and combat ICE) and sign-making before the demonstration begins.