Virginia grassroots organizations are working to sustain and grow a movement following the nationwide No Kings protests on March 28.
Dozens of organizations were involved in the demonstrations, including COVA Coalition, Indivisible, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Virginia Grassroots Coalition, We of Action, 50501 Virginia, League of Women Voters, and Progressive Democrats of America.
There was a strong turnout in Richmond, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Charlottesville. Charlottesville alone saw an estimated 12,000 demonstrators, according to C-VILLE Weekly.
The Nationwide Movement
“People are extremely dissatisfied with the status quo in the United States,” said Adam Malinowski-Liu, director of the Richmond Liberation Center and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The Richmond Liberation Center is a community center and hub for political organizing in Richmond. It has participated in every No Kings demonstration in Richmond, according to Malinowski-Liu.
“There are a lot of different organizations of a lot of different varieties,” Malinowski-Liu said about organizations working with No Kings. “There’s a lot of overlap between us, which is why we all cooperate.”
The first No Kings protests were held in June 2025 and brought out a reported 5 million people across all 50 states. The second one was held October 18 and organizers reported 7 million participants. The March 28 protests drew a reported 8 million people.
If popular demands of Americans aren’t met by the government, the numbers will only continue to grow, according to Malinowski-Liu.
“I think that the movement has definitely shifted its focus more towards becoming an anti-war movement,” Malinowski-Liu said.
According to a Pew Research survey conducted in March, 61% of Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling the conflict in Iran.
“The United States has engaged in all these totally unjustified conflicts all over the world,” Malinowski-Liu said. “At the same time, there have been huge cuts to social services and the cost of living has become such a crisis.”
Overall, there were 790 protests in Virginia in 2025, with only a tiny fraction being counterprotests, according to the Crowd Counting Consortium at Harvard University.
No Kings’ Goals
Some other issues that people have shown concern about during the No Kings Protests are deportations, electoral integrity, police brutality, economic inequality and the preservation of democracy.
“The central message of No Kings, in my opinion, is that we are a democracy and we all have a voice in this democracy,” said Kathy Dalesandre, member of Peninsula Indivisible and COVA Coalition.
Peninsula Indivisible is a congregation of four Indivisible movements, all centered in Hampton Roads. Indivisible is a nationwide movement that mobilizes to protect democracy. The inauguration of a Democratic governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general earlier this year encouraged an influx of people to go out and demonstrate, according to Dalesandre.
“Something we did with the No Kings protest that happened on the 28th of March was talk to people about how they are voting in the redistricting special election,” Dalesandre said. “We’re doing better at thinking about what the next steps are as opposed to just coming out and feeling good for one day.”
Dalesandre was a safety marshal at No Kings protests in Newport News and Virginia Beach. She was in charge of ensuring protesters were following spatial guidelines, being watchful for troublemakers, and talking to people about Indivisible and other local movements.
“I think the first protests were to get people out and feel a sense of community,” Dalesandre said. “Now they’re offering training for how to be marshals and things like that as opposed to just signing people up to go out in the streets.”
Political Organizing in Virginia
“We have so many federal workers and military folks here,” said Micaela Pond, founder of We of Action Virginia, in relation to the number of job losses since Trump took office. “I feel that our population is affected so greatly by all these issues.”
We of Action started in 2016 as a coalition of teachers trying to make their students feel safe amid social unrest after Trump’s second election victory. It is now one of the largest Indivisible groups in Northern Virginia, with over 5,000 members and branches all over the country, according to Pond.
The organization has been involved in all the No Kings demonstrations in Northern Virginia. Over 8,000 people showed up to their demonstration last October, according to Pond. The nonviolence and collaboration behind the protests have been powerful.
“People bring joy in resistance,” Pond said. “It’s a wonderful, joyful feeling to see like-minded folks come together for at least a few hours. We are getting a break from the horror that we see every day on our televisions and giving each other hope.”
Critics say Stronger Message, More Action Needed
No Kings critics say the movement is ineffective at generating actual change due to placing emphasis on performative activism without having a concrete strategy. People have also criticized the movement’s lack of a clear, central message.
“I feel like the point of protests is not to ask permission,” said Genesis Jackson, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. Jackson believes the movement must be more assertive in expressing who the protesters are and why their message is important.
“We’re voicing our opinions, but how effective is it really?” said VCU student Mia Yonkers. “I think what we’re doing is great, and it’s a good start, but I think we should be doing more to get to a higher power to try to understand what we’re doing.”
The next nationwide No Kings mobilization is “May Day Strong” and is scheduled for May 1. The slogan of the May campaign is “Workers over Billionaires,” according to the No Kings website. It will be centered around holding billionaires accountable and uniting workers together.
by Sara Matthews VCU Capital News Service
Photo: Andrew Kerley
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