ON THIS, THE DAY before nationwide No Kings Day protests, I want to pause and thank the many people in small towns, in the most rural of regions, who are standing up for democracy. Media attention tomorrow will focus on protests in big cities. That coverage is expected. But equally as important are the rallies in communities of a couple hundred or several thousand deep in red territory.
In these places, publicly standing against the Trump administration takes, simply put, guts. Everyone knows everyone in small towns and it’s not necessarily easy to be politically at odds with one another. These are the people you see at the post office, worship with, meet for coffee, work beside, live next door to, do business with.
When those who oppose Trump, his administration and policies protest in rural Republican strongholds, they expose themselves as “the other.” Yet, it is this very public act of defiance and resistance which can get people thinking, start conversations, open doors to change. Now, more than ever, it’s important to fearlessly oppose tyranny. It’s important to stand up for freedom, voting rights, immigrants, justice, due process… It’s important to express concerns about the economy, the war in Iran, the overall state of this country.
Upon looking at a map of all the No Kings Day protest sites in Minnesota, I found many in rural areas. From Madison, population 1,500 and the self-proclaimed “Lutefisk Capital of the USA” near the South Dakota border, to Baudette, population 1,100 and the “Walleye Capital of the World” near the Canadian border, Minnesotans will gather. Even in my deeply red home county of Redwood in southwestern Minnesota, a protest is planned in the county seat of Redwood Falls.
In St. James, also in southwestern Minnesota and a town where I once lived and worked as a regional news reporter for the Mankato Free Press, a No Kings Day event is set. The community of 4,800 is home to many Hispanics and Latinos and was targeted by federal immigration enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge.
Even Hackensack, in Paul Bunyan’s northern Minnesota lake country, is on the Saturday protest map. That town has a population of just under 300 as does Cyrus, near Morris in far western Minnesota, also holding a No Kings Day protest.
From my community of Faribault, with a population of around 25,000, to Kenyon to the east with some 1,800 residents, to the small towns of Rushford, St. Charles, Spring Grove and Preston in the far southeastern corner of Minnesota, and many small towns and cities across the state, people will gather in protest on Saturday.
In St. Paul, organizers are expecting up to 100,000 to rally at the state capitol. Those are some impressive numbers. Yet, if even five people show up in a small town to protest, that’s impressive, too.
Every voice of resistance matters, wherever you live, rural, suburban or urban.
FYI: The Faribault No Kings Day protest is from 11 a.m.-noon March 28 (and every Saturday) by the Rice County government services building along Minnesota State Highway 60.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Never having lived in a really small town, I can imagine that speaking out there takes extra bravery because it could have immediate, personal consequences (which is probably not so if you’re one in a crowd of 100,000).
That’s precisely one of the points I was attempting to make without directing stating that. It’s easy to be part of a massive crowd. Not so much in smaller groups in rural areas.
you are so very right, Audrey. I’ve been visiting family in Northern Michigan for the last few days where it’s pretty red and lots of small towns, and farm lands and rural areas, mixed in with tourist areas by the lakes and an influx of younger people moving here who are more liberal. my brother moved here a few years ago after living in New York for years and was shocked when we met up of a protest and there were a hundred people who all met downtown, he thought we might be alone. this time, for no kings, there will be small groups scattered around and there is a larger no kings group that has gathered with another very small group to come together and a few pastors have organized and others not, it’s a mix, but I’m proud of all of them, especially the ones that are a few just holding strong and standing where it may not be welcomed by many but much needed for many reasons. I’m heading back to ann arbor today to help with some no kings things for tomorrow, but very proud of each person up here, standing where and how they can. an incredibly strong statement. and same for Minnesota, and every state, and around the world standing for what is important.
Every person standing up in protest matters. Thank you for sharing about your brother’s experience in northern Michigan. And thank you for all of your hard work in the Ann Arbor area. Together we make a difference. We raise our voices. We must! In solidarity from Minnesota.
💪💪☮️💕
I like the picture of the abandoned house.
It will be interesting to see how the protests play out tomorrow…peacefully I hope. That’s the intention.
Thank you. I love that photo also. The house is long gone, fallen into a heap of rotting wood.
I have no reason to believe protests will be anything but peaceful. They have been thus far. I assume you will be protesting???
Yes, in Northfield.
I figured you would be there. I’m hoping for a good turn-out in Faribault. We certainly don’t get hundreds like Northfield. But then Northfield is a blue city and Faribault is not.
Is there a general time that the country will be protesting?
I’m not aware of a general time, just tomorrow. Times vary from location to location, based on what I’ve seen.
Let’s hope the turnout nationwide is immense.
I hope for the same. I’m expecting a good turn out in my community based on my connections who have said they will be there.
What an important point to make about the extra courage it takes for rural citizens to speak up. Thank you for the mention of all the small towns; it shows the breadth and depth of the protests. Good reporting, Audrey.
Thank you, Bernadette. I certainly did not list all of the small Minnesota towns holding No Kings Day protests. But I tried to give a cross-section of the state. It does take courage, even in Faribault. I am grateful for every single person protesting tomorrow–in Minnesota, across the country and across the world.
The non-profit Stand Up for Science whose motto is “Protect Our Health, Defend Our Democracy!” is sponsoring an accessible virtual rally on Saturday that includes an ASL interpreter, a Spanish language interpreter and live-captioning. It’s free. Register at https://www.standupforscience.net/sufs-nk3 .
From 11:30-2:00 CDT, the SUFS rally features speeches from congresspeople and others. At 2:00 pm CDT, the SUFS livestream will switch over to the NO Kings 3 rally in St. Paul where presenters will include Bernie Sanders, Joan Baez, and Bruce Springsteen. The St. Paul schedule is at https://www.nokingstwincities.org/speakers .
Thank you so much for sharing this info and these links. Love this!
I hope every protest is peaceful, and every voice is heard, and it makes a huge positive difference in our country!! ❤️🤍💙
Those are my hopes, too, dear Rose.
Thank you – your neighbors in Wisconsin had this to say https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN1UTvu102I
Thanks for sharing this, Mark.
I appreciated this message – it resonated with what Willmar went through https://dailyyonder.com/a-small-town-under-ice-occupation/2026/02/02/#:~:text=He%20even%20talked%20to%20them%2C%20telling%20them,to%20arrest%20the%20restaurant's%20owners%20and%20dishwasher.
My dear readers, please click on the link in this comment and read the story about how ICE has affected the community of Willmar in western Minnesota, a city familiar to me. This story, published in The Daily Yonder, focuses on what rural Minnesotans are doing for their neighbors. As a side note, a reporter from The Daily Yonder covered the No Kings Day protest in Faribault today. I look forward to her story.