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 think.
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.