More than 700 people gathered in the City of Laurel on Saturday morning to join the “No Kings” rally, part of a planned national protest against the Trump administration and its policies.
The event took place at Emancipation Park near the Laurel Branch Library before participants gathered along Route 198 dressed in costumes and toting signs.
Organizers said the rally was an inclusive event, drawing a diverse crowd across age and racial groups, as well as people with disabilities.
“This administration is based on retaliation and seeks to divide Americans,” U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) said to the crowd. “Trump is using the Oval Office as a cash machine for him and his billionaire buddies … that sounds like an individual who wants to be king. And do we say no to kings?”
“No!” the crowd shouted in response, many of whom arrived with protest signs.
Van Hollen was joined by U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Dist.4) during the rally, which was organized by Laurel Resist, a local progressive movement formed in response to President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017.
Amy Knox, president of Laurel Resist, opened the event by telling the crowd that the protest was in response to the growing economic and social strain she sees every day in the community.
“I live across from St. Philip’s food pantry [in Laurel] and see the line get longer every month,” Knox said. “People are really struggling.”
The Laurel protest was one of more than 3,000 planned for March 28 across the country as part of the “No Kings” movement, which was launched in 2025 by progressive groups including Indivisible, MoveOn and the American Civil Liberties Union, among others, to protest what organizers described as authoritarian behavior by the president and his administration.
Locally, organizers said they, too, wanted to send a message to the White House after a year of policies that saw thousands of federal workers lose their jobs, anti-immigrant actions and a worsening economy.
“We want the administration and all elected representatives to know that we are watching,” said Christina Yuan of Laurel Resist. “We want them to do what is in their power to prevent these attempts to take away our rights, our constitutional protections and the rule of law.”
Yuan and city leaders said they wanted the protest to strike a more joyous tone and remain nonviolent while encouraging children and seniors to let their voices be heard.
“Stay involved, stay active in our democracy, and make sure you vote,” said Laurel City Council member James Kole (Ward 1). “It’s great to see your neighbors who feel the same way you do. We may not all agree, but we can show each other we’re here and we’re civil.”
After opening remarks, attendees lined up near the intersection of Route 198 and Seventh Street holding signs and wearing costumes ranging from purple hippos to Guy Fawkes masks popularized in the movie “V for Vendetta” and a “Night King” costume from the TV show “Game of Thrones.”
“I’m out here to let my voice be heard and make sure people know that not everybody agrees with Trump,” said Ann Meixner of West Laurel as she stood along the roadway with a message that read, “All of my rage cannot fit on this sign.”
Meixner said she began protesting in high school during the Vietnam War. She said the “No Kings” protests happening nationally are the most she has seen since then and believes they are more than justified.
“Everyone matters, no matter who they are or where they’re from. We are all worth caring about,” she said.
This story was update with a more recent count event attendees.