Events like this are often understood through scale—how many people gathered, how large the crowd became.
On March 28, 2026, tens of thousands filled the Minnesota State Capitol Mall in Saint Paul for the “No Kings” rally, part of a coordinated day of more than 3,000 protests across the United States, with additional demonstrations taking place internationally.
But scale only tells part of the story.
The reason I do this work—from Cuba to the streets of Minneapolis—is to show what most people never get to see or experience. Not because it’s hidden, but because most people pass through it.
In Cuba, I spent time inside homes where families live without consistent access to healthcare, clean water, or basic infrastructure—spaces that rarely appear in official narratives.
In Minneapolis, I stood in the aftermath of federal immigration enforcement actions where a woman was killed and tear gas was deployed into a residential neighborhood, and returned again as communities gathered to mourn, question, and push back after repeated shootings.
I’ve walked beyond resort boundaries in Mexico to meet people whose lives exist just outside what visitors are meant to see.
And I’ve sat with families here in Minnesota whose lives were permanently altered when a mother was taken.1
Each of those moments carries the same thread: being present long enough for the surface to fall away.
At the Capitol, that meant moving through the crowd—and at times working from the press area near the stage—watching the event shift depending on where you stood. The scale remained, but it broke apart into smaller moments: interactions, expressions, fragments of conversation. Voices overlapping. Chants rising and dissolving. Humor and frustration existing side by side.
This work moves between those layers, inside the crowd, and at the edge of the stage where the message is projected outward.
It looks at how the event was experienced, not just how it appeared.
Tens of thousands fill the Minnesota State Capitol Mall in Saint Paul on March 28, 2026, during the “No Kings” rally, the flagship event in a coordinated day of more than 3,200 protests across the United States. Crowd estimates for the St. Paul rally ranged from about 100,000, according to the Minnesota State Patrol, to more than 200,000, according to organizers. The protests also drew international solidarity demonstrations in at least 15 countries. 
Demonstrators shout and raise their hands during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. Among the raised arms, a protester holds a sex toy—part of a tactic that emerged during earlier anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis, where activists used dildos as a form of mockery and resistance against federal immigration enforcement. During February protests outside the Whipple Federal Building, organizers distributed the objects in what they described as “Operation Dildo Blitz,” using humor and ridicule to challenge the authority and image of heavily armed federal agents. In the weeks that followed, the symbol carried into broader demonstrations, where it came to represent not just anger, but a refusal to grant legitimacy or fear to institutions seen as abusive. Here, amid flags, megaphones, and chants, the object appears alongside more traditional symbols of protest—capturing the collision of outrage, satire, and collective voice that defined the rally.
Members of Twin Cities Singing Resistance perform during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Nekima Levy Armstrong speaks during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. Delivering a forceful and impassioned address, Armstrong called for racial justice and accountability, drawing a strong response from the crowd.
Carolina Ortiz, Associate Executive Director of COPAL and a DREAMer originally from Zacatecas, Mexico, speaks during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. Ortiz spoke about her lived experience as an immigrant and her advocacy for marginalized communities through legislative action and grassroots organizing.
Venus DeMars performs during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. DeMars, a Minnesota-based transgender musician and activist, delivered a live set as part of the rally supporting democracy, labor rights, and immigrant protections.
Performers deliver a vocal set during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Musicians perform during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Tim Walz speaks during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. In a forceful address, Walz condemned recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, called for justice following the deaths of residents during those operations, and urged continued public resistance and community solidarity. The event brought together community leaders, activists, and elected officials advocating for democracy, labor rights, and immigrant protections.
Bruce Springsteen performs his song “Streets of Minneapolis” during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Bruce Springsteen performs his song “Streets of Minneapolis” during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Bruce Springsteen performs his song “Streets of Minneapolis” during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026.
Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026, as more than 100,000 people filled the Capitol Mall and watched on large video monitors across the grounds. The turnout marked one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota history, part of a nationwide day of protest focused on immigration, labor rights, and democratic protections.
Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026, as more than 100,000 people filled the Capitol Mall and watched on large video monitors across the grounds. The turnout marked one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota history, part of a nationwide day of protest focused on immigration, labor rights, and democratic protections.
Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers perform together during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026. The performance brought together generations of musicians.
Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers perform during the “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota on March 28, 2026, as a third individual joins them on stage.
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