Community
Thousands crowd streets for another No Kings protest
A lively, good-humored, non-violent crowd of several thousand Gig Harbor-area residents clogged the sidewalks of one of the town’s major crossroads Saturday afternoon, a local expression of the day’s nationwide “No Kings” protests.
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Many if not most participants carried protest signs ranging from the profound to the profane and touching on a smorgasbord of topics. Most of the shoulder-hoisted, hand lettered messages derided Trump administration policies the protesters say they regard as anti-democratic authoritarianism.
While protesters carried an array of American flags, one flew his upside down, a recognized signal of distress or danger.
Kevin and Debbie Horace of Port Orchard during a No Kings in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Photo by Chapin Day
Asked why, Kevin Horace, of Port Orchard replied: “Because Donald Trump is taking our democracy from us and the country in the process.”
His wife Debbie, added, “And the world too, from what I see.” Her poster cited the Constitution’s Article Two, Section Four dealing with impeachment.
Different kind of red hats
The crowd splayed in all directions for blocks along Point Fosdick Drive NW and Olympic Drive. If Trump defenders were there, they certainly weren’t wearing their politics on their sleeves or their heads.
No MAGA hats were to be seen. Instead, the crowd was sprinkled with women wearing red knit caps, a symbol of resistance launched by Norwegian women early in World War II against Adolph Hitler and recently revived as apparel protest against various forms of oppression.
No Kings protesters in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28. Photo by Chapin Day
While the demonstrators stayed off the streets, didn’t block traffic and, for the most part, obeyed traffic signals, the crowds’ presence was noted by motorists, many of whom waved or used their vehicle horns to toot support or approval.
Not all hands waved out of passing car windows used all digits. Some showed two, in a traditional sign of peace. Others showed just one, and it wasn’t a thumbs up.
One protester, foreseeing the possibility of that rude gesture, held a large sign, “Flip me off if you like pedophiles.” The other side of his sign read, “Love not hate makes America great.”
Another woman was among the most frequently photographed during the event. Her poster utilized plumbing fixtures to graphically indicate her less than admiring feelings about the president.
No Kings protesters in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28. Photo by Chapin Day
Faux swearing
Our reporter lost count of the number of signs challenging the public’s ability to pun by using a four-letter F-word—faux—in a two-word phrase often ending in “…Trump”, or “…ICE”, or “King”. Most readers seemed to get the crudely-coded messages.
No Kings protesters in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28. Photo by Chapin Day
Some pole-carried messages were as simple as a small, laminated, store-bought “For Sale” sign with the word “America” scrawled in the space usually occupied by a used car or boat.
Others exhibited creative and artistic skills beyond common levels.
Gig Harbor architect Cheryl Stubbing crafted on foam poster board a 3’x5’ illustrated masterwork, a montage of democracy lessons in history, philosophy, patriotism, and politics.
Cheryl Stubbing’s No Kings sign. Photo by Chapin Day
In light of current events, Stubbing said, “I make these to kind of control the angst.”
She has made one previously, more religion oriented. She says she plans on about a dozen more.
Not everyone used their own art. One woman acknowledged that she might have stretched copyright laws a bit by basing her double-sided sign on a portrait portraying Trump as an emperor.
No Kings protesters in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28. Photo by Chapin Day
Crowd estimates
She explained that at a prior protest she was concerned about him becoming a monarch-like but now she fears he’s at work empire building.
One curbside couple declined being identified. Wrapped in an American flag nearly as long as she was tall and wearing one of those red knit caps, she held a sign reading, “Stand for Democracy” as her companion sat next to her waving a smaller flag.
Then there was 80-year old Sarasue Essenprais, signless and leaning forward on the brakes handles of her wheel chair to wave her dowel-mounted flag at the passing cars.
She has been curbside at previous similar demonstrations.
“I haven’t missed one,” she enthused, “…and I’ll be at the future ones too.”
Sarasue Essenprais, 80, at Saturday’s No Kings protest. Photo by Chapin Day
Her presence and the presence of the thousands of others was seen as evidence what event co-organizer Jim Albrecht of the organization Indivisible Gig Harbor called a “grassroots movement.”
As the event, which ran from noon until 2 p.m., wrapped up, he noted that his organization, part of a large national “Indivisible” group, has about one thousand names on its e-mail list.
He estimated the crowd size at “about 4,000,” somewhat higher than but within the 3,000 to 4,000 our reporter guesstimated.
As of Saturday evening, Gig Harbor police had no reports of any instances of police activity resulting from the demonstration. While police may have been on site for security purposes during the event, the only police vehicle photographed by our reporter was marked as one used for police recruitment activities.
No Kings protesters in Gig Harbor on Saturday, March 28. Photo by Chapin Day