No Kings protests in several cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area began Saturday morning when more than 200 people gathered in Frisco at 9 a.m. About a thousand people protested in Dallas at City Hall at noon.
Protesters assembled in Fort Worth at 2 p.m. All told, more than 10 demonstrations were scheduled across North Texas.
The demonstrations, organized by the nonprofit Indivisible and several partner organizations, are meant to express opposition to the Trump administration’s current policies, according to the No Kings website. Organizers are expecting millions to show up to the protests across the country, The Associated Press reported.
The first No Kings protests in June last year drew thousands to Dallas-Fort Worth streets and millions nationwide. In the fall, thousands of people in Dallas rallied in the second round of protests.
4:25 p.m.: Man recounts altercation with counter-protester in Dallas
Billy Bowers, 62, said he attended Saturday’s No Kings protest as a way to show up and speak against the direction the country under the Trump administration.
As he and others marched down South Ervay Street, the group was confronted by counter-protesters.
“He was trying to incite people to get mad,” Bowers said.
A man who wore a mask had appeared alongside conservative influencer Alex Stein. The counter-protesters chanted back at the protesters, saying it was their day and they had a right to be there as well, Bowers said.
Police escorts at the front of the No Kings protest quickly surrounded and separated the groups.
Bowers said a fight started after one of the counter-protesters pushed someone, which led to a shoving match and then fist flying. The masked man hit Bowers in the face, as well as two other men, he said.
“He got me in front of a cop,” Bowers said. “That’s why he got arrested.”
Dallas police then pushed the masked man against a wall and put him in handcuffs as the protest continued down Ervay and the counter-protesters left.
3:50 p.m.: U.S. Marine Veteran, bishop speak at Fort Worth protest
Bishop Mark Kirkland, president of Rehoboth Fellowship International and a U.S. Marine veteran, said the Fort Worth rally focused on defending democratic principles and encouraging voter participation.
“This is an attack against the democracy which I pledged to give my life for,” Kirkland said.
Bishop Mark Kirkland, president of Rehoboth Fellowship International takes part in No Kings protest in Fort Worth on March 28, 2026. (Michael Cuviello)
Kirkland, whose ministry is based in east Fort Worth urged people to vote and expressed concern about political division, the use of religion in politics and U.S. foreign policy. He said his church remains committed to empowering local communities and increasing civic engagement.
3:25 p.m.: Dallas police detain man
Dallas police detained a man after an incident at the downtown Dallas protest, a video captured by a Dallas Morning News staff photographer shows.
It is not immediately clear what led to the detainment or the nature of the incident.
The video shows two Dallas police officers holding the man against a wall on the side of the street. The identity of the man was not released.
Dallas police detained a man at the planned No Kings protest in downtown Dallas after an altercation with marchers on March 28, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer)
3:05 p.m.: Thousand protest in Fort Worth
Under a persistent gray drizzle, more than 1,000 demonstrators filled the heart of downtown Fort Worth Saturday for the third “No Kings” rally, a burgeoning national movement protesting the policies of the Trump administration.
Carrying hand-painted signs with slogans like “Give Peace a Chance” and “No Kings, No War,” the crowd stood in hushed solidarity as a folk singer’s voice cut through the damp air with a stirring protest anthem.
The gathering at General Worth Square marks one of the largest local mobilizations since the administration took office last year, part of a coordinated wave of demonstrations occurring in cities across the country today.
Tyler Turner, international president of the Office and Professional Employees International Union and president of OPEIU Local 277 in Fort Worth, said the demonstration was a necessary defense of democratic principles.​
“We are not a country that is founded on the principle of having a king,” Turner said. “We’re a democracy, and in the union movement, democracy is at the core of everything we do.”
​Turner, who has led the local union since 2017 and was named international president in 2025, cited recent administrative actions as a primary catalyst for labor’s involvement.
2:20 p.m.: Intersection of culture and politics
Black flags bearing a grinning skull and crossbones in a straw hat waved above the crowd of thousands gathered outside Dallas City Hall.
The image comes from One Piece, a long-running Japanese anime and manga series about a ragtag crew of pirates known as the Straw Hats, who battle an oppressive world government. Off screen, the flag has taken on a new meaning as a Gen Z symbol of resistance – one reason Sammy Samuelson, 45, and Joni Sierra, 28, carried it at Friday’s No King protest.
Samuelson, who also participated in the No Kings protests this past summer, said he sees parallels between the show – particularly its second season, which aired on Netflix earlier this month – and today’s political climate.
“In the second season, they introduce this king character who is very full of himself,” Samuelson said. He added that in the first season, the Marines – the primary governing force in the fictional world of One Piece – are shown engaging in underhanded activities.
Samuelson and Sierra had never met before arriving at the protest outside Dallas City Hall. But both chose to carry the One Piece flag as a shared symbol of their frustration with the Trump administration and a way to make their voices heard.
“The show is about fighting against your oppressors,” said Sierra. “No matter how powerful they are, you have to keep trying anyways because you want to fight like hell.”
Holding a guitar, Lowry Manders stood on a concrete slab in front of City Hall. The beat of a hand drum thrummed beside her as the others with the Dallas chapter of Singing Resistance stood around in matching purple shirts.
They played the tune of “When the Saints Come Marching In” but with swapped lyrics and instead sung “Abolish ICE, abolish ICE, abolish ICE, abolish ICE, we will love and protect all our neighbors, abolish ICE.”
The Singing Resistance started in Minneapolis after ICE appeared in the city’s streets, a move that led to three shootings by federal officers, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The groups message of sharing love, solidarity and acceptance through songs grew with time and made its way to Dallas.
“We’re taking action,” Manders said.
1:50 p.m. ‘A bright blue anglerfish inflatable costume’
As 46-year-old Christie Dulin stood among thousands of No Kings protesters in downtown Dallas she couldn’t help but attract eyes as her tail swished around in the cold wind. Dulin had arrived from her home in Garland to the protest with her wife and two kids in a bright blue anglerfish inflatable costume.
Dulin’s 13-year-old daughter loves anglerfish, she said. While this isn’t her first No Kings protest, it is for her kids.
She said Kamala Harris losing the presidential election in 2024 and the constant news cycle featuring President Donald Trump‘s newest escapades made her kids also want to come out today.
“It’s exciting to see the younger generation, Gen Alpha get it,” Dulin said. “Get that this is not normal. From the time they’ve been old enough to kind of understand, they’ve only known Trump and all of the things that come with this. I’m just glad that they haven’t given up on democracy and still have a sense of pride for what it stands for and understand that it can be different.”
1:20 p.m.: Family stories of migration
The chant “No ban, no war, sanctuary for all” erupted around Dallas City Hall as demonstrators chanted in both English and Spanish against the Trump administration’s policies.
Pedro Lira stood in front of the crowd and shared the story of his grandparents being migrant workers who had to drive around Texas from job to job to make a living.
Lira, the State Director of the Texas Working Families Party, said they moved often and at times couldn’t afford necessities. At one point his grandfather bartered his watch to get groceries and gas. His grandparents were hard workers and represented the American dream, Lira said.
Now, he said many people like his grandparents aren’t wanted in the country.
“My family was working class, and I tell this story because my grandfather was the best man that I have ever known,” Lira said. “He taught me to be a good man, but he was an immigrant to this country. And in today’s America, despite being proud to be a U.S citizen … he would not be welcome.”
The Trump administration has pledged to deport migrants who, President Donald Trump said, are “dangerous criminals” and pose a threat to the law-abiding citizens in the country, The Associated Press reported earlier this year.
A Dallas Morning News analysis of immigration enforcement data showed during the first nine months of Trump’s second term, 62% of those arrested by agents in the Dallas office had not been convicted of crimes.
12:40 p.m.: Protesters gather in downtown Dallas
As the Downtown Dallas No Kings protest kicked off at noon, upwards of a thousand demonstrators ranging from veterans, dogs and young children crowded the reflecting pool in front of City Hall, as organizers lead an opening session before planning to take to the streets.
A reverend held a moment of prayer, blessing everyone for their courage to show up and march.
12:10 p.m.: Aubrey mother uses rally to teach daughter
Aubrey residents Emilie Murray, 43, and her 9-year-old daughter Storie spent Friday evening making signs and decorating a shirt before attending their first No Kings protest in Frisco on Saturday. At the corner of FM 423 and Old Newman Rd, Emilie Murray held a sign that read “I fight fascism for my daughter’s future.”
Storie held her hand and a sign with three words: “I’m her daughter.” Emilie Murray said she attended the protest because she is worried that Storie will not have the same First Amendment and reproductive rights that she had growing up.
“I was nervous about bringing her, but I think it’s important to get kids involved early given what’s going on,” the mother said.
11:50 a.m.: HUD official, county candidate says protests are about mobilizing voters
Candace Valenzuela, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, attended the No Kings rally in Frisco, speaking out against what she described as an “attack on our civil liberties” and the Trump administration’s defunding of institutions like HUD.
“We were working hard to increase access to safe and affordable housing, but I feel like the Trump administration has done all it could to roll back that progress,” Valenzuela said.
Valenzuela, who is also the Democratic nominee in the race for Denton County Commissioner in Precinct 2, said she hopes protests like Saturday’s will drive voter engagement and turnout.
“This is not just a one-time expression of emotion,” Valenzuela said. “We are getting people mobilized.”
11:15 a.m.: More than 200 people line several blocks in Frisco
Protesters holding colorful signs protesting high gas prices, the war in Iran and President Trump’s leadership lined both sides of FM423 between Main Street and Stonebrook Parkway.
“When they honk you know it’s real because they’re the working people,” said Darrel Evans, a McKinney activist who attended the protest.
One pickup truck toted a large flat-screen television wrapped in a bed sheet that read “Now Playing the Madness of King Donald on a TV Near You.”
Protesters wave a signs and cheer as traffic passes by during a No Kings protest March 28, 2026 in Frisco. (Azul Sordo/Staff Photographer)
10:45 a.m.: A bipartisan couple dress as symbols of faith and country
People dressed as Jesus and Uncle Sam were among attendees in Frisco.
Necia Jackson-Guidry, 67, wore red-and-white striped trousers, a star-spangled top hat, and a blue overcoat over a campaign T-shirt for Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico.
​Jackson-Guidry, a lifelong Democrat, said her costume represented the Constitution, while her husband-a Catholic and a Republican-dressed as Jesus to represent Christianity.
​”Our message is that … religion and politics can go together, but the truth is the most important thing,” Jackson-Guidry said.
Jackson-Guidry, who lives on the border of Frisco and Little Elm, said the administration’s treatment of immigrants motivated her to attend. She has been discussing the issue with her 7-year-old grandson whom she brought to the rally.
​”We’re all immigrants … all of us are except the Native Americans,” Jackson-Guidry said. “We talked to him about how it’s important to not treat people the way they were [treated] in Minnesota, because he sees it on TV.”
Keene Horvath and his grandmother, Necia Jackson-Guidry, dressed as Uncle Sam, hold signs and chant during a No Kings protest March 28, 2026 in Frisco. (Azul Sordo/Staff Photographer)
10:25 a.m.: ICE enforcement prompts decision to join rally
Dianna Dicosimo, 76, wearing a red jacket, held a sign reading “RESIST” along FM 423 during the No Kings protest in Frisco.
A resident of the Frisco Lakes retirement community where many neighbors support President Donald Trump, she said recent ICE enforcement tactics prompted her to attend.
“ICE agents going around in masks and breaking into people’s homes – that’s just not American to me,” she said.
9:45 a.m.: No Kings rallies begin in North Texas as dozens protest in Frisco
Dozens of protesters lined both sides of FM 423 at Old Newman Road to protest the Trump administration as part of the third nationwide No Kings protest Saturday.
Protesters stand beside a styrofoam Statue of Liberty as traffic passes by during a No Kings protest March 28, 2026 in Frisco. (Azul Sordo/Staff Photographer)
Derrell Everette, a Little Elm, resident hooted as he held a sign protesting the administration’s tariffs. Everette, 57, who is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, said the war in Iran motivated him to attend the No Kings protest. He said that Trump’s decision to deploy troops to the region escalated the conflict.
“Being a veteran, this is not what I fought for,” Everette said. “It’s not going to end well.”
Attendees at the Frisco rally waved American flags, chanted slogans such as “No ICE, No War, No Kings” and blew bubbles as cars driving by honked in support.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Staff writers Michael Cuviello, Angela Mathew, Timia Cobb, Miriam Fauzia and Suryatapa Chakraborty contributed to the report.