On Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to around 1 p.m., millions of people around the United States gathered to protest the current government administration and President Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran. Several protests occurred around the Bay Area, including in Fairfax, Larkspur, San Rafael, and Mill Valley. The largest protest in the Bay Area took place at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, where attendees formed human banners spelling out “Trump must go now!”
The third nationwide No Kings protest drew more than eight million people, correlating with past predictions that it would be the largest rally in the movement so far. Over 3,300 marches took place across all 50 states and in other countries.
No Kings is a nationwide movement that began a few months after President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term. The initial No Kings protest drew around five million people across the country, and the second major protest on Oct. 18, 2025, drew a crowd of seven million. Organizers around the US held the first No Kings protest on June 14, 2025, the same day as Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C. Protestors viewed the mobilization as a retaliation in response to what they see as rising authoritarianism in Trump’s administration.
Trump’s recent military efforts against Iran have sparked anger from protestors. Fairfax resident Nancy Morita explained how the bombing of a school in Iran was one of the many reasons for her attendance on Saturday.
“The [issue] that keeps coming to mind is when the school in Iran was bombed with all those girls in it, and when the parents who rushed in to rescue their children were killed as well. There’s just no excuse for that,” Morita said.
One of the most viral moments of recent protests in San Francisco was the Ocean Beach human banners. So far, activist groups have organized several human banners in support of the No Kings movement, and facilitators planned another for the March 28 No Kings protest. Local volunteer organizers helped create the human banners by outlining the message “Trump must go now!” in the sand early in the morning, before directing participants to fill in each letter.
People began gathering for the human banner at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, at 11 a.m. on Saturday. By 11 a.m., it appeared as though there were a few thousand people in attendance. At 1 p.m., volunteers announced that the preparations were complete and that attendees could now find a spot in one of the letters.
San Anselmo resident and Ocean Beach protest attendee Adam Chapin believes the protest shows a growing sense of urgency among the public. He commented on how these demonstrations help people’s voices be heard.
“These protests matter because we are trying to exact change and stand up for democracy, for the constitution, and for our freedom and peace against dictatorship,” Chapin said.
In Fairfax, protestors began gathering at the town Parkade from 10 to 10:30 a.m., lining the sides of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Many protestors held up handmade anti-Trump, anti-war, or anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement signs to passing cars. By 11 a.m., there were around 500 protestors in attendance.
Fairfax resident Margaret Yates ran a table near the protest, handing out protest signs and buttons and collecting donations. This was her first time with a larger role in a protest, although she has been participating in them for a long time.
“I’m really passionate about stopping the killings, chaos, and insanity that’s been going on, and I also like to be involved in my community. I’ve lived here [in Fairfax] since 1982,” Yates said.
Members of Indivisible Marin, an organization that helped coordinate the protests, have called the protest the largest grassroots mobilization in American history. Moving forward, they encourage protestors to continue participating and to stay tuned for future upcoming mobilizations.
