For Millions, ‘No Kings’ Is a Statement of Faith

By Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons Mar 27, 2026 – Via Sojourners

The third No Kings Day this Saturday is shaping up to be the largest day of nonviolent protests in American history. 

There were more than 2,000 protests during the first No Kings Day in June 2025 and more than 2,700 at the second No Kings Day in October 2025. More than 3,000 events are already planned for this third edition.

For millions of Americans, fighting tyranny is an act of faith. Approximately 7 million Americans turned out at the latest No Kings Day in October. That included more than 4 million people of faith, according to a polling analysis provided to me by YouGov. Among No Kings participants, 18% were Protestant, 21% were Catholic, and 19% identified with other faiths.

That means roughly six out of every 10 No Kings protesters were people of faith: more than 1 million Catholics, 1 million Protestants, and 1 million people of other faiths.

As much as protesters expose and criticize Christian nationalist support for the Trump administration’s theocratic impulses, we must also recognize that the majority of No Kings protesters are themselves people of faith, who serve as a powerful and growing moral counterweight to those who would use religion as a tool of oppression. There are also a range of training resources for people of faith to prepare for Saturday.

I’ve participated in the protests myself as an expression of my Baptist faith. Baptists were among the religious dissidents who laid the foundation for the U.S. Constitution’s religious freedom protections. No kings. No theocracy. No Christian nationalism. Each of these is an expression of following Jesus. And everyone who marches is blessed as we live out our Matthew 5 calling to be peacemakers and thirst for righteousness.

I’m inspired by the Baptist theologians who have given us examples of how to maintain a strong separation of religion and government while also bringing robust faith-based advocacy to the public square. “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state,” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said. “It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”

Interfaith Alliance is a host committee member of No Kings, and I had the honor of marching at the front of the first No Kings Day flagship march in Philadelphia. I’ve spent my entire life engaged in faith-rooted activism, and yet I still got chills declaring “No Kings!” in the city where American revolutionaries first declared our independence. I looked behind me and saw thousands upon thousands of ordinary Americans—many, like me, inspired by their faith—join the march.

“Faithful America has long stood against movements and leaders who misuse Christian language to manipulate, divide, and cause harm,” Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, told me about their continued involvement in the movement. “Our participation in the No Kings protests is a continuation of that commitment, an expression of faithful resistance at a critical moment for our democracy. As people of faith find the power in their voice to tell a story countering white Christian nationalism, we encourage our members to be out in their communities for No Kings to connect with neighbors, engage in movement protest, and commit to building local power long after the marching is done.”

At the second No Kings Day, I attended the Washington, D.C., rally and witnessed an amazing opening invocation from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh leaders onstage. 

Mary Small is the managing director of Indivisible, and a lead organizer of No Kings protests. She joined us at Interfaith Alliance for the official No Kings Interfaith training, describing herself as a “proud United Methodist” working with diverse people of faith who are active in the fight against authoritarianism. You can watch the full training on YouTube below.

Faith communities looking to engage in activism beyond attending No Kings can host a pre-march or pre-rally interfaith gathering. Religion News Service reported on one such gathering in New York City during the last No Kings Day: “A crowd of 50, including some of the city’s most prominent religious leaders, held an interfaith vigil before joining a demonstration in Times Square.” Even a relatively small gathering of faith leaders can foster community before everyone processes to the larger event. Interfaith Alliance developed the official No Kings interfaith planning guide to help groups planning events.

According to anti-authoritarianism researchers, to truly make an impact, we need 3.5% of Americans to show up and demand accountability. Sustained, organized resistance on the scale of 12 million people will require a story that resonates with who people are and what they want their lives, communities, and country to stand for. For many, that story can be rooted in faith.

If you have gone to No Kings before, show up again. If you have been watching from the sidelines, this is the moment to step in.

Four million people of faith have already taken part. Saturday can be even larger—not for the sake of numbers alone, but because the stakes are clear: a democracy without kings and a country where faith remains free.

Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you