No Kings Protests Draw Crowds Across Wake County and Triangle

Ronnie Shea wore a frog costume to Clayton Town Square while Catherine Bythewood led the crowd in chants and Marcia Everett directed them in song, as the "No Kings" rally at 100 W. Main St. ran three hours through the afternoon. That scene repeated across the Triangle on Saturday, where six Wake County and nearby locations hosted coordinated demonstrations organized by the advocacy group Indivisible.

The day's first gathering opened in Apex, where protesters filled the area around Beaver Creek Commons at Highway 55 and Beaver Creek Commons Drive from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wake Forest's Centennial Plaza at 221 Brooks St. followed at 10 a.m. By 11 a.m., demonstrators were lining the sidewalks of Capital Boulevard between Sumner Boulevard and Old Wake Forest Road in North Raleigh, a stretch that advance traffic advisories flagged for potential major backups near Triangle Town Center. Raleigh's central gathering ran from 1 to 3 p.m. at the North Carolina State Capitol on Edenton Street. Cary held its demonstration at the intersection of Kildaire Farm Road and Southeast Maynard Road from 2 to 5 p.m., one of the region's longest-running events of the day.

At Clayton Town Square, families and individuals filled the space with signs, chants, and a march through downtown. Kathy Butler, Bill Butler, Barb Baker and Mark Gillespie stood together holding signs. Ron Penny attended alongside his son, Ron Penny Jr. Nikki and David Elshiemer paused to have their photo taken. The Brereton family, Lauren, Adelyn, Sophia and Jonathan, along with Michael and Karyn French, were among those present. Passing cars honked in support as marchers moved through the streets.

The protests are a recurring national movement. The most recent No Kings demonstration, held October 18, drew an estimated five to seven million participants nationwide, with Indivisible expecting Saturday's turnout to surpass that number following President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. "On March 28, we will remind Trump and his enablers that real power belongs to the people, not a flailing wannabe-king," Indivisible stated. The president's Republican Party labeled the rallies "Hate America" demonstrations.

More than 70 cities and towns across North Carolina participated Saturday. In the broader Triangle, Durham held its event at 211 W. Parrish St. from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chapel Hill gathered at 140 W. Franklin St. from 3:45 to 6 p.m., and Pittsboro assembled at the Chatham County Courthouse from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Statewide, Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro and Fayetteville were among the additional cities hosting events, with Indivisible framing the movement as opposition to what it describes as authoritarian executive overreach.

Capital Boulevard's midday window drew the sharpest public safety concern, with demonstrators instructed to line the sidewalks rather than occupy travel lanes along one of North Raleigh's busiest commercial corridors. It was, by design, meant to be visible: a two-hour presence on one of the county's most-traveled roads during a Saturday morning commute.