Updated 8:25 p.m. March 28.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Penn State’s Old Main lawn Saturday afternoon for a “No Kings” protest, joining a national day of nonviolent action and more than 3,100 similar events nationwide that organizers said were aimed at opposing authoritarianism and defending democratic rights.
The event began shortly after 1 p.m. and concluded around 3:30 p.m., drawing a large crowd of community members, students and local advocacy groups. Organizers with Keystone Indivisible hosted the rally, which included speakers, tabling and a march through downtown State College.
“No King’s Day is a non-violent national day of action in response to the increasing authoritarian, excessive and corruption of the Trump administration,” a Keystone Indivisible volunteer said. “President Trump is governing through fear, intimidation and consolidating power that doesn’t belong to him. This is a constant, unfolding crisis and the opposite of democracy. We the people say no…Proud families are crushed by the rising costs of gas, groceries, housing and healthcare.”
The rally featured information tables, a photo booth and a prop “golden throne,” where attendees could take photos and participate in a costume and sign contest. Organizers said multiple local organizations were present to share resources and connect with attendees.
Speakers addressed a range of issues including economic policy, immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ rights and U.S. foreign policy.
Rev. Tracy Sprowls, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County and a member of the Centre County Rapid Response Network, spoke about immigrant protections and local advocacy efforts.
“We believe everyone has a right to due process under the law, right? We believe children should be able to go to school and people should be able to work and buy groceries and live their lives without fear, right?” Sprowls said.
CCRN includes more 350 volunteers with a mission “to promote, defend and advance immigrant rights throughout Centre County by using our bodies, tactics and resources in support of the well-being of all,” Sprowls said. That includes a hotline for reporting suspected ICE activity in the area and responders who go out and verify.
They also “patrol vulnerable restaurants and neighborhoods,” provide outreach and share information about immigrant rights.
Sprowls said immigration enforcement actions have directly impacted Centre County residents in recent months.
“We work with our organizers here locally and across the state to support the families of those who have been detained,” Sprowls said. “When we first began, people questioned our need to organize and they said, ‘we’re not Chicago; we’re not Minneapolis.’ I hate to tell you, ICE is here right now. They have been kidnapping our neighbors since last March. A family lost their son, brother and father when eight agents took him away in the early morning… They detained a Chinese man, separating him from his wife and family… A group of ICE agents chased a Latinx worker while he went to work…Unfortunately, ICE has continued to terrorize this community.”
Sanjay Samuel, a Penn State business school faculty member, criticized U.S. military spending and its economic impact.
“I teach accounting. There is no course on the economics of war. There should be,” Samuel said. “About a month ago, the U.S. and Israel launched a concerted attack on Iran. This is not unusual. It is what happens to a republic that is committed to permanent war… A permanent war economy bankrupts the nation financially.
“Right now, we spend a trillion dollars a year on the military, what the next nine countries do together, and every year that number goes up, and every year they tell us we are not safe. We’re still threatened… Jobs are disappearing [and] we can’t afford the rent, the utilities, food, medicine. Wars abroad ruin us financially. “
Local resident Michel Lee Garrett urged continued civic engagement and community support.
“We will not give up without a fight,” Lee Garrett said. “We are here because this country was founded on three inalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And our rights are being stolen. Our right to life, our right to liberty and our right to the pursuit of happiness are being co-opted and priced out of reach, and we say no. Your right to access health care is your right to life…They are pissing on everything that makes this country great.”
Lee Garrett, who is a transgender woman, also spoke about threats to transgender health care access.
“The powers that be hate trans people, a small, vulnerable sliver of our society, so much that they are trying to rip away the ability of hospitals to accept Medicaid or Medicare at all, just to deny us our access to life-saving gender affirming care,” Lee Garrett said. “So they would rather keep your family from being able to access treatment for cancer just to eliminate people like me from public life.”
Lee Garrett urged people to vote, make their voices heard on policy decisions and support each other.
“They cannot take that from us because when you get to know your neighbor, when you show up for a friend, when you organize a fundraiser for a family who can’t pay their bills, when you drive a neighbor to the hospital, you are building community,” Lee Garrett said. “And when we build community, we build power.”
Another speaker called on participants to act collectively, saying, “We should not be struggling to survive, we should be able to thrive,” while criticizing federal spending priorities.
“I ask you to utilize your power collectively to help build for the tomorrow that we should have. We should not be struggling to survive, we should be able to thrive. We should not be spending $290 million on companies to kill people overseas. We should not be spending up to $900 million a day to bomb Iranians. We should not be cutting SNAP benefits to fund wars. We shouldn’t be cutting the things that help everyday people.”
Following the rally, participants marched from Old Main to Pollock Road, North Atherton Street, and West College Avenue before ending at the Allen Street Gates. The march did not go into the road, except to cross Burrowes Street on campus, and traffic volunteers assisted.
Local police were on hand for the demonstration and march, and no disturbances were reported.
Organizers said the demonstration was part of a broader national effort to mobilize communities and encourage civic participation.
It was the third No Kings day of action nationally in the past year. Similar rallies were held in State College and nationwide in June and October.
