Thousands of people gathered in Boulder on Saturday for the third “No Kings” national demonstration opposing President Donald Trump and his policies.
Crowds packed downtown streets as the city closed sections of Canyon Boulevard, 9th Street, Pine Street and Broadway for about two hours. Boulder police managed traffic at key intersections during the march.
Some people dressed in costumes, others carried homemade signs, some with zingers mocking the president’s orange complexion, and others warning of fascism. At least one sign called for saving the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which Trump is seeking to restructure. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a Boulder-based nonprofit consortium of 129 universities known as UCAR, has sued over the effort.
Marchers chanted “no borders, no walls, sanctuary for all” and “one, two, three, four, we don’t want your stupid war” as they circled downtown. Some residents watched from their porches. One person handed out whistles, which people across the county have used to alert neighbors to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The demonstration featured drumming by the community group Bateria Ensemble at the corner of 9th Street and Canyon Boulevard, as well as marchers carrying drums and tambourines.
Outside First Congregational Church at Pine Street and Broadway, a newly formed Boulder chapter of Singing Resistance performed songs from the labor and civil rights movements. The national initiative organizes group singing in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration and other policies.
The group performed “We Shall Not Be Moved,” the gospel-rooted hymn that became a civil rights anthem, along with “Hold On” by Heidi Wilson, which gained popularity following protests in Minneapolis. They also sang Bob Marley and Peter Tosh’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” improvising to advocate for First Amendment rights, freedom of the press, the right to vote and those taken by ICE.
Forever Indivisible Boulder, a local chapter of the national progressive group that formed after Trump was first elected in 2016, helped organize the event.
The Boulder march was part of the nationwide “No Kings” day of action that drew millions of people to more than 3,000 events across all 50 states, according to organizers. Large demonstrations took place in cities including New York, Chicago and Boston, with the largest gathering likely in the Twin Cities, where more than 200,000 people attended, organizers said.
I was there and I was blown away at the orderly protest!!! I saw NO VIOLENCE, no police mismanagement!!! A TRULY peaceful protest focused on the most unpresidential man to ever hold the office!!!! Thank you, you once again made me proud to be a lifelong citizen!!!!
I was there and it was an amazing number of people, very orderly, but also very quiet. after attending other marches in Denver, I expected there to be some chant leaders with megaphones, but this was the quietest protest I’ve ever been to and I really missed chanting with my fellow marchers. I tried to fire it up a few times, but my voice got tired with no megaphone. this is not the time for us to be quiet!!
Plenty of chanting at Broadway/Canyon SW corner. Maybe you weren’t there where it originated, or at that time.
You can argue politics all day. What is harder to dismiss is preparation, conviction, and the willingness to lead.”—prompted a deeper question for me, in the spirit of hoping for a more evolved politics:
Lead toward what?
Preparation, conviction, and leadership are powerful qualities. But their true value depends on the direction they’re applied. Without a shared aim, even the strongest leadership can simply move us faster in opposing directions.
What if we anchored that aim more clearly?
Not just winning elections or advancing positions, but asking:
Are we helping people become healthier—physically, mentally, emotionally?
Are we supporting lives that feel meaningful, connected, and dignified?
Are we acting as responsible stewards of the world we’re passing forward?
If leadership were consistently measured against those outcomes, the conversation itself might begin to change. Disagreement wouldn’t disappear—but it might become more grounded, more constructive, and more aligned with what ultimately matters.
That, to me, feels like a direction worth leading toward.
Pete Buttigieg is doing a good job of painting a vision for the country moving forward. Amidst all the comments re what’s going wrong, it’s refreshing to think about rebuilding something better.