On March 28, 2026, millions of people around the world protested the Donald Trump administration. Bloomington-Normal was no different. There were two different protests that occurred on Saturday: the No Kings protest at noon at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts and a smaller demonstration at 4 p.m. at the Uptown Normal Circle.
The larger protest was hosted by 50501, an organization formed to protest the Trump administration. The smaller protest was hosted by Indivisible, a grassroots organization that protests the rise of authoritarianism. Between the two demonstrations, thousands of protesters attended. The Argus reached out to Illinois Wesleyan students who attended the protests for their thoughts.
First-year Illinois Wesleyan student Maddie Fly spoke about the impact the protests had on her. While watching the crowd gather and the various speakers, Fly said she felt herself tearing up. She was excited and overwhelmed to see so many people gathered to protest. Fly expressed hope for the future because of the large turnout, which included other students and professors, both from IWU and ISU.
Senior political science student Emmeline Schubert also attended the No Kings protest. She felt that “collective action amplifies our voice as a community while we advocate for the issues that matter to us as individuals.” Schubert, president of the Women in Politics RSO, had also organized a poster-making session alongside the IWU College Democrats RSO the night before. Both Women in Politics and College Democrats organized a group to attend the protests as well. “I have participated in all No Kings events, and organizing this weekend was an essential continuation of that commitment,” Schubert said.
Senior Khel Gordhan, president of the IWU College Democrats was one such member from the group the two RSOs organized. Gordhan said the protests “demonstrate in a tangible way the strength of our community and the hope that we can bring about change.”
Over the last year, there have been three No Kings protests (June 14, 2025, October 18, 2025, and March 28, 2026), and all three have had substantial turnout. Still, some question how impactful the protests have been. Senior LC Killian voiced their concerns as to whether the protesting was effective. As a participant and organizer for other protests, Killian felt “protests without set demands don’t really do anything other than facilitate a space for people to go out and feel like they’ve done something.” Killian offered various solutions, including “boycotting services and businesses that both work with and facilitate the Trump regime.”
March 28 brought out millions of people to come together and protest the current administration. These protests provided many with hope that change could come, especially with the upcoming midterm elections coming in November.
