On Saturday, March 28, a series of No Kings protests took place all across the country. Millions gathered in cities all over America in protest of the actions and policies passed by the Trump Administration, as well as the events that have taken place as a result.
In southeast downtown Lancaster, over 5,000 protesters gathered in Reservoir Park for its No Kings Protest- one of over 3,300 events nationwide. Notably, Reservoir Park had been the site of the city’s “ICE Out” rally two months prior, protesting ICE presence in the city and their actions throughout America.
The event was led and organized by Indivisible Lancaster County and the 50501 Movement, both pro-democracy organizations formed to oppose the rising authoritarian regime in the United States and the second Trump Administration. Alongside others, these organizations have previously organized similar protests starting in June of 2025, then again in October, marking March 28 as the third of these events.
People gathered around a stage in Reservoir Park, where various speakers, musicians, and performers came up to entertain and further rally the crowd. People spoke out against the decisions made by the administration, including ICE Operations, immigration policies, the lack of accountability regarding the Epstein Files, and the 2026 Iran War. Several lent their voices, including Lancaster Mayor Jaime Arroyo, who urged the crowd to keep up hope.
“We cannot afford not to be hopeful. We cannot afford to be pessimistic,” said Arroyo. “We can’t afford not to be resilient. So as many generations before us have had to fight for democracy, it is this generation that’s going to have to fight to keep it.”
Brody Ketner, a senior at Manheim Township High School, directed his voice towards young people in Lancaster and the U.S.
“No matter how little power you think your voice matters, it does,” Ketner said. “When you use it, you will find many people will share your views and amplify your message.”
Ketner had previously organized a walkout earlier in the month in protest of ICE, possibly inspiring other schools to do the same, firmly believing that the state of the country and the decisions made within it start with the youth.
“I might not be an adult . . . I’m not an official adult yet, as per most people’s eyes,” Ketner commented. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid. We have to get out there and make our voices heard . . . from the youth, from the people just graduating high school, to the people who are in their 80s and 70s protesting since Vietnam, we have to get our voices out there and be heard. That’s how we affect change in this country.”
Leo DiSanto, a folk artist born and raised in Lancaster, was one of the rally’s many performers. The songs he performed had been inspired by the present day and feelings of darkness and uncertainty looming overhead. He had previously written songs for protests in the past with the purpose of bringing people together, especially through singing along as a community.
“I think it’s beautiful to demonstrate in numbers like this because people all across the country are doing this today,” DiSanto said. “We also have to take action in our own communities with our elected representatives and, you know, do whatever we can do . . . to make real changes every day.”
Pennsylvania State Rep. Ismail “Izzy” Smith-Wade-El would also arrive to speak out and unite the people, championing unity and love amongst the people, and encouraging others to fight back against the Administration and against injustice in the nation as a whole.
“We built the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the idea that we don’t submit to tyrants, and that we don’t give up on our friends and neighbors,” said Smith-Wade-El. “And so there are thousands of people here . . .who came together to get activated around that.”
