Over 1,000 people gathered at Dickinson Park Bandshell and Pavilion for Rock This Democracy’s “No Kings” rally on Saturday, October 18.

Newtown residents and others from surrounding towns and cities were invited to meet various groups associated with Rock This Democracy.

After words from several speakers, the crowd marched from Dickinson Park to South Main Street. Protesters lined the street from the intersection of South Main Street and Mile Hill Road to all the way past Glover Avenue on Main Street.

Event organizer Alex Villamil said the rally went “much better than expected.”

“We didn’t think we were gonna have such a high turnout this time because there were so many rallies across Connecticut [that day] ... and we still managed to get around 1,200 people in Newtown,” Villamil said.

He added that their goal was to connect and encourage people to get involved with organizations such as American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Villamil said he was really encouraged by the turnout.

“It’s just very exciting,” Villamil said. “I think our goal to get people connected and involved is working.”

The Newtown rally was one of dozens of No Kings protests throughout the state last Saturday.

The No Kings protests, organized by a coalition of primarily liberal groups including the 50501 Movement, Indivisible and ACLU, were set to take place in about 40 towns across Connecticut.

These demonstrations follow similar No Kings protests in June, which drew thousands of protesters in response to a military parade organized in Washington DC.

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 are meant to favor Republican lawmakers and candidates.

“The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty,” the website reads.

The website also states that over seven million Americans joined 2,700+ events in all 50 states.

Westport and New Haven were among the Connecticut towns and cities people rallied at this past Saturday.

An estimated 10,000 people came to the state Capitol in Hartford to call for opposition to President Donald Trump’s changes in federal policy.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told a crowd in Hartford that he would continue to “stand up for health care” and that Democrats would not “back down” and be “intimidated” or “bullied” by Republicans.

US Representative John Larson, D-1st District, condemned the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Connecticut towns.

“We do not consent to pulling mothers from their children in Newington and in Southington. We stood up and fight against them, because we’re Americans. Because this is the nation that we love,” Larson told the crowd in Hartford.

The number of immigrants in the United States declined by 1.2 million between January and September of this year. In Connecticut, where ICE arrests have more than doubled from January through July of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, there have been reports of immigrants being detained at courthouses and car washes.

CT Mirror content was used in the preparation of this story.

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