April 1, 2026/Midnight
Erie, PA. – On March 28, protesters took to Perry Square near Gannon University for the No Kings Day rally, in which participants spoke out against the current state of the U.S government. The majority of the crowd stood together and walked around the square, holding up hand-made signs and listening to various speakers. Near the stage, tables set up by organizations show support for the rally and offer deeper reasons for being there.
One organization in attendance was Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan statewide coalition, formed in 2016. According to their website, they “advocate for a better redistricting process and to inform voters about the harms of gerrymandered districts. We want an independent redistricting process and accountable legislature that represents all Pennsylvanians well.”
Fair Districts PA say their belief is that the government is being overly controlled by political rights. “We think an independent group should be drawing the line, not two parties. So, there’s no majority in one district, there’s also an independent party.” Fair Districts PA also expressed the need to amend the PA constitution to prevent future gerrymandering, with a push for an independent redistricting commission that is transparent.
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On the other side of Perry Square was Erie Spiritual Coalition. This organization works directly with the Cathedral of St. Paul, and said in an interview, “We focus on housing issues and tenet rights.” Their mission is to help those struggling with housing and to bring awareness to the lack of affordable housing in certain areas.
On their website, they write, “We work with neighborhood groups, associations, nonprofits, and individuals to better understand the needs of our city, craft relevant solutions, generate buy-in, and work for policy change.” Erie Spiritual Coalition recently hosted an event discussing current events in America. In an article highlighting the event, it says, “By creating this ecumenical liturgy of singing, poetry, and sacred text, we offered a space where we could face the reality of our times not in fear and anxiety, but in hope and courage.”
Another organization was Erie Indivisible, which helps bring awareness to different political issues and organize events such as the No Kings rally. When asked what brought them to the protest, they responded saying, “The way the world is, we need to rise up because Congress is not. We have to have hope. People shouldn’t feel alone and we need to come together.” In a recent Facebook post, they encouraged people to attend the rally, saying that there would be a record number of protests happening at once, not just in America, but in Europe, too.
Individually, many people were in attendance making their opinions heard. There was a wide variety of signs, some serving to add a bit of laughter, while others criticized the current presidential administration. One man approached Gannon students to discuss some recent actions taken by Gannon University regarding some political comments made by former members of the staff. He questioned whether students were fully aware, and if so, how much say they were allowed to have in it.
The scheduled speakers were also vocal on many issues, with one speaking out about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and their feelings about America’s support for Israel.
There was some opposition, as a small group of supporters of President Trump had formed. They donned MAGA hats and American flags, with their own signs in hand. One sign read, “America has no kings, Trump is still your president.” Apart from the blasting of music through loudspeakers and some minor resolved conflicts, the rally was relatively peaceful, and all sides were able to collectively share their sentiments about the current state of the government.