Protestors hold up their signs along Chain Bridge Road, near city hall, as cars drive by and honk in support, on March 28, 2026. (Isabella Pearlstein / Fourth Estate)

Community members take to the streets as part of national movement

BY ISABELLA PEARLSTEIN, STAFF WRITER

Recently, the third string of nationwide “No Kings” protests made it to the City of Fairfax.

People of all ages and backgrounds joined together to display their outrage with the federal government. Protesters gathered with homemade signs, joined a community art project and sang songs of resistance to demonstrate against the Trump administration.

This is the third “No Kings” protest held since President Donald Trump took office over a year ago. Support and organization for the event came from Turning the Tables, an organization founded in 2025 that works to engage the Fairfax community in civics. 

Turning the Tables is part of Indivisible, a grassroots organization founded in 2016 that works to “stop the rise of authoritarianism in the United States,” according to their website. 

According to organizers, between 1,200 and 1,500 people turned out for the March 28 protest. Protestors lined up along both sides of Chain Bridge Road, from the Fairfax City Inova Emergency Room to Sager Avenue, showing off signs to people driving along the half-mile stretch of road. 

Several drivers honked their horns in response and gave a thumbs up with supporting cheers and waves. With every honk, protestors whooped and cheered.

Caitlin Schaefer, a rising Elementary Education major at Mason, held a bright green neon sign that read “No sleep till impeachment.” 

“It’s definitely important to show up no matter where you live, just to continue to protest, show that this is not acceptable behavior from Trump, his cabinet, to Congress, who are not [doing] much at all right now,” Schaefer said.

Protestors write and tie their “‘Why’ Knots” as part of a community art project on March 28, 2026. (Isabella Pearlstein / Fourth Estate)

Throughout the protest, demonstrators had the opportunity to participate in a community art project titled “Our ‘Why’ Knots.” Protestors walked up to event volunteers who had strips of fabric to write why they were at the protest and tie it to the netting. 

“We really wanted the voice of the community to be part of this day … everyday people expressing their concerns about what’s going on,” one volunteer said.

From left to right: Parker Coates, Sophia Burbridge, Hina Walters, and Lourdes Davis (Isabella Pearlstein / Fourth Estate)

A group of friends from Mason heard about the protest from their friend Sophia Burbridge, a sophomore Criminology Law and Society major. 

“We need to show our support. The more the merrier, we need to show that we’re mad and this is not just about politics, this is not just about who’s right and who’s wrong. This is about saving America, and this is about having a better future for our kids and our next generations,” said Burbridge, who found out about the protest on Instagram.

“I feel so deeply about what’s going on in this world, and it’s all so messed up, and I can’t do much by myself, but I know that showing up and showing my support for all these people is gonna help,” Parker Coates, a sophomore Criminology major, said.

The group described a positive atmosphere and sense of community at the protests.

“Despite the fact that it’s cold and windy, and we’re next to a busy street, everybody’s happy, everybody [has] turned out, and we stayed out … I’m just so happy to see how many people are also just as upset and angry as I am and willing to show it in peaceful ways and just to show up and make a difference,” Lourdes Davis, a sophomore Mechanical Engineering major, said.

The protest ended with a small rally of guest speakers who spoke against the current Trump administration and the political discourse of the U.S. Eric Scott, part of I Will Productions, led protestors in song before Rev. Drew Ensz from ARISE Campus Ministry spoke about standing up for immigrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Former ambassador Robin Matthewman followed. She spoke about global conflict and her time as an ambassador. Alex Norko, a Virginia resident, spoke about his activism against ICE in Loudoun County and how he hopes to bring it to Fairfax and get the community engaged.

Rev. Dr. Stephany Rose Spaulding, executive director of Politivist Action PAC, spoke about needing to fight for more than just democracy. 

“We must evolve in humanity,” she said.