More News:

March 27, 2026

'No Kings' organizers in Philly suburbs seek to build community and visibility

Crowds will gather in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties Saturday for the third iteration of the anti-Trump rallies.

Protests Trump
No Kings protest Daniella Heminghaus/Imagn Images

More than a dozen 'No Kings' rallies are scheduled across Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties this weekend. Above, demonstrators line the sidewalks along N. Main Street in Sellersville during a Presidents Day anti-Trump protest on Feb. 16.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to march down Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Saturday as part of the third wave of "No Kings" protests. But just past the Philadelphia city limits, many suburbanites are likewise mobilizing.

About 20 events are scheduled across Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties this weekend, per the No Kings map. They include train station pep rallies, courthouse demonstrations and marches through the street — all aimed at resisting the "authoritarian power grabs" of the Trump administration. 


MORE: SEPTA to test real-time arrival displays at 10 bus stops and trolley stations

But that's just the overarching goal of the national movement, which began on the president's birthday last June and returned in October. In suburban communities like Ardmore, organizers are hoping to build stronger connections with their neighbors.

"We're trying to make it a little bit less of what we're not for, and here's what we are for," said Lauren Steinmeyer, co-host of the planned Ardmore rally. "And for me, I think this is more about community because community is what gets us through hard times."

Steinmeyer, who organizes with Indivisible Lower Merion, says the group is planning a deep canvass of the region to record concerns of residents. But she said she has an idea of what keeps the people around her up at night: the steep cost of living, cuts to Medicaid, rising gas prices and the war in Iran. The administration's crackdown on immigration is also top of mind, not only out of concerns over deportation but free speech. Five Quakertown teens were arrested last month at a walkout against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, during which the police chief appeared to place a student in a chokehold. Quakertown is the site of one of the upcoming demonstrations.

Gathering in protest is one tangible action people can take to feel less "helpless" in the face of insurmountable issues, Steinmeyer says.

"We're seeing a lot of people who don't know what to do that just want to do something," she continued. "So a big part of that with 'No Kings' is it's a very low barrier to entry. People can come, they can be with people and remember they're not alone."

They can also contribute non-perishable items to a food drive for St. Mary’s Food Pantry that's running during the rally or listen to a performance from the Main Line Unitarian Church Resistance Chorus. Organizers are expecting up to 2,000 attendees — people they hope will keep showing up for future actions. The group already has another protest on the books for the following Saturday, April 4, at the Citizens Bank branch at 225 W. Lancaster Ave. Protesters will be calling on the corporation to cut financial ties to GEO Group, the operator of the largest ICE detention center in the state.

As organizers are quick to acknowledge, action extends beyond protests. Indivisible Lower Merion will also be pointing participants to postcard and letter writing campaigns, call scripts and, as the midterm elections approach, voter registration drives. 

Large events like the upcoming protest are a boon to suburban organizers hoping to boost visibility. Steinmeyer admits that she was in Philadelphia for the first "No Kings" events, completely unaware of the planned Ardmore demonstration steps from her apartment building. When she learned she'd missed out standing with her neighbors on Lancaster Avenue, she looked up the organizer and joined Indivisible Lower Merion.

"What people want is action," Steinmeyer said. "And if you can get it closer to home and not have to deal with the traffic of the city, why not?"


Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.

Videos