Newtown residents and others from surrounding towns and cities crowded outside the former police station on 3 Main Street for Rock This Democracy (RTD) and Newtown Action Alliance's "No Kings" rally on Saturday, March 28.

Over 700 people attended the Saturday afternoon rally, according to event organizers. The demonstration was one of many of No Kings protests held across the United States that day, protesting against President Donald Trump and his administration.

A Tuesday, March 31 livestream on No Kings' YouTube channel, which discussed the movement’s goals after the recent protests, stated that millions of people attended rallies on March 28.

Hartford Courant noted thousands of people turned out for "No Kings" rallies in Hartford and throughout Connecticut, with 51 total planned across the state.

According to the No Kings website, these recent protests are spurred by the government's attacks on Americans’ freedom of speech, civil rights, and freedom to vote, along with the war in Iran, the government's aggressive immigration enforcement, and increasing costs pushing families to the brink.

"Because this country does not belong to kings, dictators, or tyrants," the website reads. "It belongs to We the People — the people who care, who show up, and who fight for dignity, a life we can afford, and real opportunity. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings."

Many attendees at the Newtown "No Kings" rally held signs, some of which read "No Kings Since 1776," "Unity or Tyranny," "Fund science, not billionaires," "No new wars," and "ICE in my drinks, not in my streets." Other people waved American flags, rang cowbells, or simply used their voices.

The event opened with musician and advocate Greg Golda, who said they gather to "say loud and clear that accountability, due process, and the constitution actually matter."

Golda noted that critics of the No Kings movement say, "What are you talking about? There aren't any kings."

"They say that because they have swallowed it hook, line, and sinker," Golda said. "We know the truth, and we're here to fight for it ... We are here to say no more war. No more corruption. No more dismantling of our educational system. No elimination of jobs to benefit the tech bros. No more destruction of our national assets."

Whether passersby jeered or honked, Golda said they are here for them, too. He said they are here for a country that is pluralistic and has opportunity for all.

He added, "Our government must be of, by, and for the people."

Golda then sang "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" by Elvis Costello & The Attractions.

RTD organizer Jim Allen spoke next. He noted that day, 250 years ago, a message from the General Court of Massachusetts went out to George Washington.

Allen read this message to the crowd, ending with a quote that those impelled by self preservation and the love of freedom, determined, resolutely, and unitedly, oppose the hand of tyranny.

"These words ring true today," Allen said. "[Donald Trump] and his administration pose an active threat to our privacy, our institutions, our freedom to vote, our freedom to love who we love, to be who we are, our health care system, our sciences, and the independence of our judiciary."

Despite division across the isle, Allen said Americans are united on a vital issue: the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

To that end, Allen called for the full release of the files.

"We recognize that multiple administrations, both Democrat and Republican, have failed us on this issue. This is not a partisan issue. However, Trump is now in office. The buck stops with him now," Allen said.

He ended by having the crowd chant "This is what democracy looks like," and "We won't back down."

David Stowe, one of the co-founders of Newtown Action Alliance, took the stage next. He said some might be in attendance to oppose the illegal war in Iran; for others, it could be the unsustainable rise and cost of fuel and everyday needs.

"But we all have one thing in common," Stowe said. "We see this current Trump regime and its cruel and lawless sycophants as something that we cannot tolerate and something that we all feel compelled to do something about and stand up against."

He said the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is "in no way" voter ID laws, but rather a form of voter suppression.

Stowe noted it would disenfranchise about 150 million Americans, more than half of those eligible to vote, by requiring passports to vote. He said this would cause some people to not be able vote since some would not be able to afford a passport or do not have the time involved to get one.

For others, such as women who have a different name than on their birth certificate due to marriage, Stowe said it would disenfranchise them as well.

He also voiced his disdain for the proposal of heavily armed ICE agents at voting locations this November.

"We have to oppose this authoritarian government, as here in the United States, we do not have kings," Stowe said.

Madeline Marcisz, a senior at Newtown High School and board member of Junior Newtown Action Alliance (JNAA), spoke afterwards. She told the crowd she just turned 18 over a month ago and that, while she is old enough to vote or go to real jail, she is still a child who lives at home with her parents and goes to high school.

Through her past three years of work with JNAA, Marcisz said she learned these elected officials are not as far away and untouchable as they once believed.

"These people in office, including Donald Trump, work for us, despite what they may think," Marcisz added.

She called back to her earlier remarks, saying that while she is an adult ready to take the world by storm, she is still a child who is still naively hoping for some grace from the government and Trump administration to prevent violence and keep everyone in their country safe.

Marcisz said it does not appear to be a priority of this administration, but appears to be the opposite.

She noted how she is the proud granddaughter of Spanish immigrants who came to America looking for opportunity, stability, and a better life.

"People have been running to the United States for centuries, searching for a safe haven for political prosecution, discrimination, and violence in their home countries," Marcisz said. "What is so different about the people coming here today?"

She closed by saying the people in power, particularly Trump, do not get to decide who belongs here, but that they do.

The next speaker was RTD organizer Alex Villamil, who said they must continue to condemn and resist Trump's attacks on due process and civil liberties.

"Snatching citizens and immigrants from our cities and our towns without due process is unconstitutional," Villamil said.

He called for them to condemn and resist the "attacks on the immigrant community, the illegal war on Iran, tax breaks on the rich, and the removal of subsidies on health care."

"The more that the financial burden falls on us, the more we are kept powerless," Villamil added.

RTD volunteer Miranda Pacchiana closed out the rally. She called on everyone to look around at them and their fellow protesters, to remember that they are part of something meaningful and that they are not alone.

She said people coming together is the origin story of America, that people stood against abusive authority and for the rights and freedoms that all humans deserve. Now, 250 years later, Pacchiana said they are being called to do it again.

"We are here today to say we won't let [Trump] get away with it," Pacchiana continued. "We are staying in the game, more united every day. We are playing for nothing less than the preservation of democracy and our country, and we're here to win."

She added that they refuse to allow the jettisoning of the core values that make them decent human beings.

While Pacchiana said America was founded on big problems such as inequity of wealth and power, she noted "the past ten years have been a brutal wake up call to the inequality that remains and calls us to action."

"Together, we can not only return to a constitutional democracy, we can make America better than before by serving and honoring the rights and needs of all people," Pacchiana said. "250 years since our founding, we're here to rise up again to fight tyranny ... We will fight until democracy is restored, until every last wannabe king is thrown out and face accountability for their crimes against humanity."

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.