The Times Union provided updates before, during and after the local rallies.
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At left, Kevin McNavich, center, with Indivisible ADK/Saratoga, stands at a table for his group at the “No Kings” rally in Saratoga Springs on Saturday. At right, a giant inflatable chicken made to resemble President Donald Trump is on display.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
Protesters gathered in Saratoga Springs for a “No Kings” rally on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
3:53 p.m.: A ballad of car horns, cow bells and anti-Trump chants are ringing out among a sea of protestors lining each side of Broadway in Saratoga Springs as the “No Kings” rally here nears its end.
Kevin McNavich is the creative lead with Indivisible ADK/Saratoga, a group that had a hand in organizing the event.
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He said he last heard there were an estimated 1,800 protestors in the Spa City, roughly the number of participants his group had expected.
“It’s pretty good. I mean, I can’t be happier,” McNavich said.
McNavich said his work to prepare for the day began two or three months ago, but he knows other leadership teams had been working even longer than that.
Although McNavich is happy with the turnout, he hopes there isn’t a need for a fourth round of “No Kings” demonstrations.
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“Everyone is trying to make things better, but it would be awesome if we did not have to do them anymore,” McNavich said. — Jesse Taylor
3:15 p.m.: A constant stream of car honking could be heard down Central Avenue as cars passed protesters like Ellen, an Albany resident and member of Indivisible Albany, who was dressed in a blow-up chicken costume.
A protester dresses up in an inflatable costume as a person riding a giant chicken at a “No Kings” rally on Central Avenue in Albany on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Lilli Iannella/Times Union
“I just wanted something fun, and I love chickens,” she said, adding that the costume brings awareness to Albany’s use of Flock Safety cameras, license plate readers that have caused worries about mass surveillance in Troy and other communities. She asked that her last name not be used for safety reasons.
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“Now, this isn’t just about visibility. This is about educating people,” Indivisible Albany’s Leyla Kiosse added.
Edgar Perez, an Albany resident and demonstrator, said he hopes his and others’ voices will be heard.
“I love this country. As much as I love it, there are times I hate it,” Perez said in tears, adding he is “overwhelmed” with the Trump administration and ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
As the rally nears its end at 3 p.m., demonstrators are starting to move away from Central Avenue. — Lilli Iannella
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A man whose face was bloodied when he tripped and fell at a “No Kings” rally in Clifton Park was taken to a local hospital, according to authorities on the scene.
Jesse Taylor / Times Union
2:30 p.m.: An injured man has been taken away in an ambulance at the rally in Clifton Commons.
The man, whose face was covered in blood, received assistance from emergency medical service officials and Clifton Park public safety officers.
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According to Alden Saddlemeyer, one of the officers at the scene, the man tripped and fell.
His head was wrapped in bandages before he was lifted onto a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.
It marks the second time Saturday that a protestor in Saratoga County ended up in an ambulance after a fall at a rally. — Jesse Taylor
Demonstrators line Central Avenue in Albany for Saturday’s “No Kings” protests.
Jim Franco / Times Union
2:10 p.m.: Thousands of demonstrators are now scattered along Albany’s Central Avenue. Leyla Kiosse, operational lead for Indivisible Albany, said it took six weeks of “nerve-wracking” planning to hold the No Kings rally this afternoon.
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“People come out, they see each other and feel more hopeful,” Kiosse said.
The rally includes sidewalk protestors, a car caravan and a street march on nearby Colvin Avenue.
“What you see here are thousands of Albanians of the greater Capital Region saying to this regime, ‘No more wars, no more ICE detention, no more kings,’” added Mary Panzetta, an organizer with We Get Out the Resistance. — Lilli Iannella
Richard Fullam, left, and Russ Weise protest as part of a “No Kings” rally outside of Clifton Commons in Clifton Park on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
1:38 p.m.: Protestors have convened in Clifton Park to take part in the “No Kings” rally just outside of Clifton Commons.
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One of the participants, a 56-year-old member of the U.S Army reserves, Richard Fullam, said he washed his hands of the Republican Party after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, D.C.
He said he was a Republican for more than 30 years.
“I voted Biden in ’20 as a Republican and once I saw that the Republicans were going to let Trump get away with January 6, I left the party,” Fullam said.
As Fullam was speaking, another man, Russ Weise, joined in.
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Weise, a Vietnam War veteran, said he was in the Air Force from 1962 to 1966.
“There is a whole generation now that has no idea. Everything is off social media; they have no idea what American history is like or what the Constitution really means,” Weise said. — Jesse Taylor
1:04 p.m.: Traffic has begun to build up on Central Avenue, primarily between Colvin Avenue and North Allen Street, where the city’s second “No Kings” rally of the day — organized by Indivisible Albany and 10 other organizations that are part of a coalition — is being held from 1 to 3 p.m.
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Hundreds of demonstrators are filling the sidewalks holding signs, ringing cowbells and shouting as cars, many honking, slowly pass by.
The Albany Police Department has closed off Colvin Avenue to vehicle traffic during the protest. — Lilli Iannella
Protestors listen to speakers during a “No Kings” rally at West Capitol Park in Albany on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jim Franco/Times Union
12:02 p.m.: By noon, thousands of people had gathered at West Capitol Park in Albany to hear a variety of speakers take to the podium set up in front of the park’s George Washington statue.
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They cheered, banged drums and blew whistles in support of the close to 10 speakers that had already shared their thoughts, including Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, an Albany Democrat.
“I’m fighting for you,” Romero said. “It’s my job to do that, and I want to continue to do that for as long as you’ll have me.”
She supports the New York for All Act, which would temporarily end formal partnerships between ICE and local police.
“We need to keep pressing,” Romero said.
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Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado delivered a 12-minute speech highlighting a theme of “love.”
“My heart is heavy,” Delgado said. “All you must do is believe in love … Don’t tell me we’re going to make America great again. To be great, you must be good first. To be good, you have to love.” — Lilli Iannella
11:46 a.m.: A co-facilitator of the No Kings rally at West Capitol Park clutched a black and gold “anonymous mask.” Apollo, whom the Times Union is identifying on a first-name basis, said it was a choice to protect their safety.
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“I’ve got family who are at risk,” Apollo said, mentioning family and friends who are immigrants and a part of the transgender community. Trump has targeted gender-affirming care and sought to impose restrictions on the rights of transgender and nonbinary people with a series of executive orders.
“It’s the same message with just a little more anger,” Apollo said, calling for Trump’s impeachment. “The pressure is on.” — Lilli Iannella
11:27 a.m.: An elderly protestor has been picked up by an ambulance at the Ballston Spa rally.
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According to John Gaba, one of the Ballston Spa police officers at the scene, the woman was standing next to him when she passed out and hit her head upon collapsing. She is doing OK, he added.
The woman got up and was guided into the ambulance by police before driving off.
Dr. Russell Hartwick, a retired physician from Ohio, was also at the scene. He said the police “did a great job.”
Gaba said the woman is being taken to Saratoga Hospital to be evaluated. — Jesse Taylor
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11:10 a.m.: No Kings Collective Co-facilitator Bryan Paz-Hernandez stands in front of a microphone situated at a small podium at West Capitol Park, surrounded by a sea of demonstrators clutching signs that carry messages like “peace not war,” “ICE out” and “power belongs to the people.”
“When I say abolish, you say ICE,” Paz-Hernandez said, kicking off the rally with a chant.
He listed demands, including the impeachment of Trump, enactment of policies to protect immigrants, universal healthcare and an end to the war in Iran.
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“We the people have the power, and we are claiming it now,” Paz-Hernandez said.
His speech was the first of more than 20 to be made by elected officials and advocates at this rally, the first of two planned in Albany on Saturday. — Lilli Iannella
Cobleskill resident Carle Kopecky poses in a Continental Army uniform at the “No Kings” rally at West Capitol Park in Albany on Saturday, March 28, 2026. He has attended multiple “No Kings” protests wearing the uniform, which he also wears for Revolutionary War reenactments.
Lilli Iannella/Times Union
11:09 a.m.: Cobleskill resident Carle Kopecky arrived at the West Capitol Park rally in a Continental Army uniform, an outfit he’s attended three “No Kings” rallies in. It’s also an outfit he wears for Revolutionary War reenactments.
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“I thought it was appropriate to get it out of mothballs,” Kopecky said.
He drove around 50 minutes to get to the Capitol this morning. But for him, being at the rally is a chance to “prevent another king from taking over,” referencing his disagreement with Trump’s agenda, including his administration’s immigration policies.
“This whole thing, we’re not going to change any legislation by standing out here in the cold this morning, but what we are doing is generating awareness,” Kopecky said.
He plans to attend the No Kings protests on Central Avenue in Albany at 1 p.m. and in Cobleskill at 3 p.m. — Lilli Iannella
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Cathy Pink, Laura Siracuse and Chris Pink pose for a photo at the Ballston Spa “No Kings” protest on Saturday, March 28, 2026. The Pinks say they chose to wear donkey costumes in support of Democrats.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
10:55 a.m.: Cathy Pink, and her husband Chris Pink, are wearing donkey costumes at the protest in Ballston Spa to support Democrats.
Today marks the third time the Pinks have participated in “No Kings” protests. Chris Pink said one of the main reasons he is protesting is because of the Epstein files — a trove of materials collected as part of criminal cases against disgraced financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — their redactions, and the content found within them.
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“People of wealth have gotten away with what they’ve done to children,” Chris Pink said.
Cathy Pink’s primary reason for participating has to do with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
She said she believes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is corrupt.
“They’re using our own forces against us, the U.S people, we’re deporting people without due process,” Cathy Pink said.
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The Pinks are planning on heading to Saratoga Springs to continue protesting when the rally scheduled there starts at 2 p.m. — Jesse Taylor
Protestors begin to gather at West Capitol Park ahead of the first of two “No Kings” rallies planned in Albany on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jim Franco/Times Union
10:50 a.m.: Hundreds of people have slowly gathered at West Capitol Park in Albany over the past hour ahead of a “No Kings” rally set to start at 11 a.m.
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Early chants of “hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go” could be heard across the park as demonstrators filled in. Organizers have wrapped the trees lining the perimeter of the park in yellow caution tape to keep demonstrators off the grass.
Many are clad in yellow — a color chosen to symbolize unity, according to the No Kings website — and others have brought folding chairs as they settle in to listen to the more than 20 people expected to speak at this rally. The speakers will include U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat representing the 20th Congressional District, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and state Sen. Patricia Fahy, who represents parts of Albany, Schenectady and Montgomery counties, said co-facilitator Bryan Paz-Hernandez of No Kings Collective, the grassroots organization that spent over a month coordinating the rally at the Capitol this morning.
“We expect a significant turnout,” Paz-Hernandez said. “There’s a lot of things that were demanding today, but the main thing is, we think it’s time for President Trump to be removed from office.” — Lilli Iannella
Donna Flagg holds up a sign referencing the song “American Pie” by Don McLean at the “No Kings” protest in Ballston Spa on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
10:15 a.m.: Amid a myriad of signs, protestors, and cars honking as they drive by protestors lining Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa, Donna Flagg holds up a sign referencing the song “American Pie” by Don McLean.
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Flagg said the song is one of her favorites and is her way of saying that she believes when Trump was elected, innocence died.
“His cruelty, his narcissism, is seeping into the whole administration,” Flagg said.
Flagg is joined by her husband, Vietnam War veteran Mark Baird, who takes issue with Trump’s move to tear down the East Wing of the White House.
“He tore the East Wing down, never got any permits or nothing,” Baird said.
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The Trump administration has argued that it did not need approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews construction projects on federal land, before demolishing the East Wing.
Baird also took issue with the cost to replace it. Trump plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in its place — the latest estimates put the cost of the project at upward of $400 million. — Jesse Taylor
From left to right, Mary Kirvin, Regina Solarek and Tracy Solarek gather at a coffee shop in Ballston Spa ahead of a “No Kings” rally on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Jesse Taylor/Times Union
9:40 a.m.: Ahead of the kick-off of the “No Kings” rally in Ballston Spa, a group of protestors has gathered at a local coffee shop.
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Regina Solarek, an 86-year-old from Scotia, said she was born in 1939 and sees similarities between what was happening in Germany at the time and President Donald Trump’s administration.
“I see things that are happening that happened in Germany. I see the brown shirts in Germany. I see ICE here,” Solarek said.
The former teacher is joining her daughter, Tracy Solarek, in protest for the first time. Accompanying the two is 76-year-old Mary Kirvin, of Schenectady, who characterized Trump as a “bully.”
“He has done everything against the Constitution that is humanly possible,” Kirvin said.
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The rally in Ballston Spa is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Front Street and Milton Avenue. — Jesse Taylor