WE GATHERED, 175 STRONG, in Faribault on Saturday morning for the third nationwide No Kings Day protest. In a city which is decidedly red, this number impresses. This marked a record turn-out, far surpassing our top participation of eighty. I saw many new faces. And a few new dogs.
From a preschooler, who plastered stickers onto a cardboard sign and held his mom’s hand, to a first-time protester in her eighties, and all ages in between, we came.
We stood along Minnesota State Highway 60 in this city of 25,000 an hour south of the Twin Cities to raise our voices. We care about this country enough to step up and speak out. And not a single one of us was paid to protest, as some erroneously claim.
We came with hope and energy and enthusiasm.
We came, too, with our signs. Grievances. Concerns. Demands. Strong statements in support of freedom, democracy, voting rights, immigrants… Strong statements against the leadership in this country, immigration enforcement, the war in Iran. Strong statements about the state of the nation, the economy, whatever worries us.
When I saw several protesters without signs, I offered extras I brought. Pulling the signs from the back of the van, I asked them to put the signs back before they left. They did.
We came in our red Norwegian resistance hats and our handcrafted flower power sweaters and our Rebel Loon shirts.
We came, too, with our music, a guitarist and a bagpipe player adding a celebratory tone to the event. This was, after all, also a rally for like-minded folks who care about each other, their neighbors, this community, this state and America.
It felt good to stand in solidarity, to talk and smile and lift each other up. To not feel so alone in one’s beliefs in a mostly Republican town.
It felt good also to laugh at humorous signs. To compliment those who made especially creative signs. To recognize that every person lining the sidewalk on both sides of the highway had a vested interest in publicly standing up for what is right and good and decent.
I walked the protest line, welcoming protesters, looking at their signs, thanking them for coming, encouraging them to return next Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon.
This is not done. This resistance.
We will continue to come with our signs. We will come with our peace and Minnesota state and American flags. We will come with our stories and our words and our voices.
We will come in the spirit of peaceful resistance. In the spirit of resilience and strength and compassion. We are, and remain, Minnesota Strong.
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THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the No Kings Day protests at 3,100 sites across this nation today. A special thanks to those who showed up in Faribault. To those I invited, those I met, those I knew from past protests, know how much I value you and your voice. To the estimated 100,000 who attended the flagship event at the Minnesota state capitol in St. Paul, thank you for showing the world the strength of Minnesotans. To protesters who gathered in other countries, this American is grateful for your support. Continue to stand strong in solidarity for freedom. We must. We will.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Hi Audrey! Thank you and Randy for protesting too! Justin and I were out too and the # of people there was great! 2 of my favorite signs said:
Grab him by the ballot!
Cleanup on aisle 47!
We aren’t going to give up! No we are not! Too much is at stake! I was devastated to see a video yesterday of little Liam and his dad being flown back to the Dilley Concentration Camp in Texas. Heartbreaking beyond words.
you take good care! Stay safe! Keep up the good fight!
It’s so good to hear from you, Kathleen. Thanks to you and Justin for protesting. We will keep up the good fight.
I didn’t realize Liam and his dad had actually been flown back to Dilley. I knew it was a possibility. I need to get the word out on that, so thank you for sharing that awful news.
I saw a “cleanup on aisle 47” sign today in Faribault also. But I really like that “Grab him by the ballot!” That’s my next sign. Thanks for sharing that.
I loved all your positive messages of hope and solidarity. Your piece was well written. I, too, had similar experiences today at a local rally.
Thank you, Sue. So glad you decided to protest in Arizona and had a great experience.
We had 100,000 at the big protest in St. Paul and plus several hundred at one here in Eden Prairie. The war is upsetting people almost as much as Orange Man himself. I too like Randy’s sign. He can turn an axle and a phrase! I like the overturned table one too. But Jesus would also have been forgiving, something Orange Man with his petty vindictiveness seems incapable of.
Glad to hear you had a good turn out in Eden Prairie. Yes, people are upset about the war and a whole lot of other issues. Randy can’t take credit for coming up with that sign. He read this in an online comment and went with it. You are correct that Jesus forgave, unlike the Orange Man who cannot let go of perceived grievances and wrongs and is a master at retribution.
Bravo Audrey! I’m so glad more good people joined your local protest, even surrounded by so many who oppose real democracy. I do like Randy’s humorous sign too. I wasn’t able to attend the London march against fascism on Saturday, although apparently up to 500,000 did, but I was with them and you in spirit. Hatred and fear grow when good people do nothing. You both showed up for love, hope and unity.
I especially appreciate this part of your comment, “Hatred and fear grow when good people do nothing.” We CANNOT remain silent. I hope that everyone eventually sees the light of truth. Part of protesting is shining a light upon the lies, the chaos, the manipulation, etc.
Thanks to everyone in London who protested. It’s good to have world-wide support. Randy did not come up with words for his poster. He found them online and then got to work with cardboard and markers.
I really like “Red or Blue, He lied to you”. We have heard that from some who voted for him and now realize it was a mistake. The protest we attended in Northfield was energizIng…standing together in solidarity against the current administration’s antics. Thanks for the good recap.
Thanks for sharing that some people have told you they regret voting for Trump. That gives me hope, that voters are beginning to see the truth. So good to hear the Northfield rally also energized you.
Hi Audrey..Great post and sign photos..loved yours as well. 🙂 I don’t often comment but I do read your blog from time to time and really enjoy it. I also was encouraged to see record number of protesters this time. I can sense change in the wind…I think the midterms will be a great turning point for this country…at least that is my hope. I was wondering where I could get one of the loon resistence buttons or t-shirts. They are my favorite bird but what they represent now in Minnesota and beyond here is wonderful.
Thank-you for spreading hope!
Chris
Chris, I got my Rebel Loon pin from a fellow protester, Susan, whose husband crafts them. Lots of people were asking about the buttons on Saturday. When I see Susan next, I will talk to her about this. As far as the shirts, I have no idea where the protesters got them, if they made them or what. Good luck in your search. If I learn anything, I will write a post.
Like you, I feel the winds of change. And I’m feeling hopeful, too, about the midterms.
Thanks for your comment and for your resistance.
Thanks for your kind reply Audrey. Yes, if could you ask your friend if she could possibly mail me one or two?…I’ll gladly pay shipping as well as for the button. I am a native Michigander but have lived in Washington state for 45 years. My dad lived most of his life in Rush City, Mn. so we’ve been to Minnesota many times. Thanks again. Chris
I’ll see what I can do, Chris. No promises. But I will try to connect with Susan when she next shows up for a protest. Thank you for standing in solidarity with the Rebel Loons.
Oh bummer..I thought she was a friend that you could reach out to anytime. That’s ok…I’ll wait. Maybe I can find them online. Thanks for your resistance too. The last time we had to do this was during the VietNam war in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Never thought we’d have to be out in the streets again but here we are…fighting for what’s right against an evil regime. 😦
I’m sorry for the confusion. But Susan is a new friend. I don’t even know her last name. We met while protesting.
Yeah, who would have thought we would be protesting? I was just a little young to protest during Vietnam. But as a friend reminded me, protesting matters and makes a difference. Larry protested during the Vietnam War. And here he is, in his eighties, back on the protest line. So proud of Larry and all the others (including you) who are standing up to this evil regime. Thank you!
I was 18 at the time and here I am at 73 doing it again. My boyfriend at the time…now husband of 54 years got tear gassed during one of the anti war protests during college at the University of Michigan. Yes, we are old hippies! 🙂
I am only a few years younger than you, so I’m an almost “old hippie.” That must have been an awful experience to be tear gassed. Many were assaulted with chemical irritants during the recent Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities. Keep protesting! And congrats on 54 years of marriage. We are 10 years behind you.
This is a huge leap, Audrey! I remember where you started and this mix of people and number of people is stunning, everyone showing up in their own way. That was so nice to share signs, and this time we made a little area for people who had extra or wanted to leave one behind that we can bring next time to share , we are always learning from our neighbors. I think I’m going to see if I can suggest a sign making or painting party for a future protest to help build community, all working together and everyone just bring whatever supplies they have and collect cardboard beforehand. Every little bit helps people to know they are not alone even if they don’t feel safe coming to the protest they can donate cardboard or help to make a sign and that way they will be represented there too. What do you think?
Beth, I think a sign-making party is a great idea not only for building community, but also for including those who don’t feel safe protesting or don’t want to protest for whatever reasons. DFLers in the county just to the south of mine host sign-making and postcard writing (to legislators) gatherings. I’ve never been, but definitely think these are both great ideas. Please keep me posted on your plans. Yes, we can learn from one another.
I really like the Loon logos, and kind of wish we could put it on our state flag. I think our area had somewhere between 1-2,000 protests. I hope politicians take notice. And I absolutely hope the protests make a good difference. We desperately need to make positive changes in government and find ways to work together to create better solutions for all of us.
I DO think the protests are making a difference if all the negative comments on the Faribault paper’s Facebook page are any indication of that. We are being called mentally ill (a new low that I find deeply offensive), paid protesters (we’re not) and on and on. I, too, hope for more working together and resolution of issues.
I cannot wait until the midterms!!!
Exactly. Momentum is building across this country. I’m hoping soon I will see cracks in my primarily red community. But thus far supporters of the Orange Guy are holding strong, continuing with their verbal assaults on us protesters, plus a few aggressive physical moves like driving fast and dangerously close to the protest line while rolling coal.