Bellingham adds voice to No Kings call with waterfront gathering, downtown march
Thousands of people rallied against the Trump administration’s attacks on democracy Saturday, chanting ”No kings, no war, no ICE, no more!” “We must resist!” and other slogans as they marched through downtown Bellingham.
Bellingham Police said no incidents were reported during the rally across from Waypoint Park organized by the social justice group Indivisible Bellingham or along the parade route, which sent thousands of people through downtown streets in a procession sponsored by the Bellingham Troublemakers.
No permit was issued for the procession, which passed City Hall and the County Courthouse, where organizers said masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have conducted raids. Bellingham Police on foot and riding bicycles kept an eye on the rally and procession from its perimeter.
Keynote speaker Jewell James, the celebrated Lummi Nation woodcarver, told the crowd how Indigenous governments like the Iroquois Confederacy influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution and persuaded them to place power in the hands of the people.
“We will not let this generation die because we failed to stand guard. We are all accountable for each other. We have to watch over each other. We have to make sure that liberty and the Bill of Rights are protected,” James said.
In an interview with The Herald, James said that “the whole movement is about the people speaking up for what they believe the United States Constitution represents to them.”
Participants carried handmade signs with a range of sayings, including “Don’t tread on anyone” with a rainbow-colored rattlesnake, “Unpaid protester protecting democracy” and “De-ice the government, not our planet.”
Jill Clark of Bellingham waved a placard that said “Protect, respect free and fair elections” from the Chestnut Street bridge, where several hundred people watched the rally from a high vantage point.
“Our voting rights are at risk. For me, that’s the most important issue,” Clark told The Herald in an interview.
Renee Sherrer of Bellingham wore an electric green wig and waved a sign with several slogans.
“I want there to be no fascism in this country, and I am wigging out about it!” Sherrer told The Herald.
Indivisible is a national organization that organized more than 3,100 similar rallies around the nation, including events in Blaine, Everson and Point Roberts, according to an emailed statement.
More than 8 million people participated nationwide, Indivisible said — the largest of its three rallies.
“For the first time, organizers are planning coordinated actions in red states and rural areas that have not historically hosted No Kings rallies, reflecting a growing anti-authoritarian sentiment in communities that have often been overlooked in national mobilizations,” the statement said.
About 300 people participated in a peaceful rally at the G Street Plaza in Blaine, organized by Indivisible 4th Corner.
“Having these indivisible groups in small towns across America, I think that’s what’s going to make a difference,” Rene Durazzo of the 4th Corner group told The Herald.
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 5:12 PM.
