On Saturday, March 28, Rock This Democracy (RTD) and Newtown Action Alliance will host a No Kings rally at the old police station, 3 Main Street. The rally will take place from 1:30 to 2:45 pm. This demonstration is part of a national movement, and rallies are planned nationwide.

Like other rallies RTD has planned, this will include live and recorded music and several speakers. Organizers are asking attendees to park behind the station, along Main Street and Elm Drive, and in town center parking lots. Attendees are asked to bring signs and their voices to participate in a safe, highly visible protest.

No Kings is a national movement in response to “increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies,” according to RTD’s website. According to the No Kings website, the protests are motivated by the increased actions from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to detain and deport immigrants with irregular status, cuts to healthcare and education spending, the rolling back of environmental regulations, and voting redistricting in states like Texas that is meant to favor Republican lawmakers and candidates.

No Kings started as a single-day event in response to the military parade organized by President Trump. The No Kings website says that it has now "become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever."

Organizers are asking that attendees register for this event. Registration can be completed by going to bit.ly/NoKingsNewtownCT. RTD is also asking that attendees stick to the principal of "nonviolent action." The website says, "We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values." This sentiment is also shared by No Kings.

No Kings rallies are also planned in Brookfield, Bethel, Danbury, Ridgefield, New Milford, and Waterbury.

For more information about the nationwide movement and other area protests, go to nokings.org. For those who want to learn more about Newtown's protest or RTD, go to rockthisdemocracy.org.