'Our democracy is on the line' Michael Fanone urges people to join the No Kings protest
Over 3,000 local events are being planned for the "No Kings Day of Nonviolent Action" on Saturday, and Home of the Brave, a nonprofit organization, has extended its support. The organization that calls itself a “community of Americans who refuse to be silenced” is running a $1 million ad campaign in over 300 newspapers nationwide, and a spokesman, and former enforcement officer, Michael Fanone, released a video urging Americans to join the rally in support of democracy. The flagship event at the Center City Philadelphia is set to become the largest protest against President Donald Trump and his administration, with millions expected to join.
With Americans feeling the consequences of the war in the Middle East and air travel disruption, the March 28 rally is expected to potentially be the single largest day of domestic political protest in history. The flagship event will be headlined by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Jane Fonda, and Bruce Springsteen at the State Capitol in St. Paul, and many have come forward to promote it. Fanone, a former enforcement officer for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia who was assaulted by rioters during the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, has also shared a message urging Americans to join in large numbers.
“I mean, it’s only our democracy that’s on the line here. And so, I would hope that more Americans show up than the 7 million we had last time," Fanone, best known for his outspoken criticism of President Trump, said in the video. Fanone, who became an advocate for accountability after suffering brutal assault and a heart attack in 2021, added that he would love to see twice the attendance in the upcoming event, as America's democracy is on the line. "I would hope that the least people could do is show up to an event like this, but we need more. We need more people getting out there, getting their voices heard and, you know, getting engaged, interacting with their members of Congress, with their senators, letting them know what’s at stake here and getting them to fight on their behalf," Fanone concluded.
Home of the Brave, of which Fanone is a spokesperson, is also running full-page ads that say, “We the People March Again. The abuses have not stopped. Neither will we,” according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The ad further includes language inspired by the Bill of Rights, along with the campaign's message, which says "We refuse to live under another King." Last week, the organizers said over 3,000 rallies were scheduled to take place in cities nationwide, stretching from coast to coast, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The No Kings website says an estimated 4,000 protestors are likely to march across the Memorial Bridge, past the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. “What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever,” the website states.
