On Saturday, March 28, millions of Americans will assert their constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly by participating in the third No Kings Day—a national day of nonviolent protest rallies in support of American democracy and the rule of law.
No Kings is a grass-roots effort to say loudly and clearly, “In America, we have no kings!” There will be protest rallies in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek and over 2,000 other locations across the country. All events are listed on the nokings.org website.
No Kings Day 3 is a collaborative effort by hundreds of pro-democracy organizations, including the Santa Cruz County chapter of Indivisible.
We are invoking the spirit of the Founders of our republic, who rejected the long human history of arbitrary rule by monarchs and their aristocracies with the Declaration of Independence. Later, the Framers of the U.S. Constitution created something entirely new: a government designed to prevent anyone from becoming a king.
Unfortunately, the Framers could not anticipate changes that have enabled one man to gain and exercise tremendous power that threatens the rights and well-being of all Americans today. That’s why We the People must assert ourselves to stop the slide into authoritarianism.
Authoritarians fear large protests that send a strong message of nonviolent resistance. Large, peaceful protests encourage elected officials, civic institutions, businesses and other citizens to stand firm against the unlawful acts and corruption of a would-be king and his aristocracy of billionaires.
No Kings protests can be a wonderful experience. They evoke feelings of community and optimism that counter the divisiveness and fear that authoritarians use against us. You’ll see adults and children in costumes. There may be chants, songs, music and dancing. And it feels great when passing cars honk in support.
Protest signs are encouraged but not required. Just being there is a strong statement. If you decide to make a sign, focus on having a message that can be read from a distance. The best sign I saw at protests following the murder of Renee Good by ICE agents was made using brown cardboard and a thick, black marker. It said, “We know what we saw!”.
The premier No Kings event in our area will be a march of 1.5 miles through downtown Santa Cruz. This permitted rally on Saturday, March 28, will begin at 10am in San Lorenzo Park (134 Dakota Ave.) with two short speeches and conclude at 12pm. There will be portable restrooms in the park. Security will be provided by the City of Santa Cruz Police Department plus 100 safety monitors along the march route. Please carpool and arrive early. You can park at the County offices (701 Ocean St.) and at nearby parking garages.
A protest rally in downtown Boulder Creek will also begin at 10am at the intersection of Highways 9 and 236. Then a third rally will follow at 12pm in Scotts Valley at the intersection of Mount Hermon Road and Whispering Pines Drive.
For more details, visit nokings.org and use the map to find these and other events in nearby cities/towns. An RSVP is encouraged because estimates for the total number of participants will be based on registrations. We’re hoping to turn out 15 million people nationwide for No Kings Day 3.
One final thought: Peaceful protests are important, but they will not bring change by themselves. Please take a moment to learn what else you can do by visiting ProtectDemocracy.org and Indivisible.org.
With hope for our future!
Mark Woods is a resident of Scotts Valley and a member of the Media and Communications Team for the Santa Cruz County chapter of Indivisible.org, a pro-democracy organization with over 2,500 chapters nationwide.
