Hundreds gather at downtown Macon ‘No Kings’ protest against Trump administration
Of four elected officials slated to talk at Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in downtown Macon’s Rosa Parks Square, three were welcomed by the roughly 300 protestors gathered in the months-old park for about an hour and a half as the crowd chanted, held hand-written signs and sang an impromptu rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Lasting just under two hours, the No Kings protest was one of about 3,000 that took place across the country, She Keene, a co-founder of the civic engagement group Macon Rising, said.
Georgia State Sen. Josh McLaurin spoke briefly to the crowd about the national-level immigration issues that, since President Donald Trump returned to office, has been the focal point of many similar No Kings and “ICE out” protests.
The issue has come to Georgia recently, McLaurin said, referring to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin and a proposed detention center in Social Circle that would house up to 10,000 detainees, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.
“This isn’t just Democrats, this isn’t just independents, this isn’t just Republicans,” the Democratic state senator said. “These are people who have never participated in politics before watching what’s happening in our country and saying, ‘You know, remember this from social studies. I remember studying when King George wanted to keep the colonies.’”
Jerry Bunch rested an American flag on his shoulder as he stood towards the back of the crowd on Rosa Parks Square. A Navy retiree and Vietnam War veteran, Bunch said he hopes the midterm elections usher in a Democratic majority in either of the houses of Congress to begin “investigations into what’s going on.”
Bunch, whose boat was stationed off the coast of Vietnam, said he did not think Trump considered the potential ramifications of war in Iran because, “Trump’s never served, his father never served, his grandfather never served.”
Among the crowd was the League of Women Voters, a local chapter of the civic group that focuses on driving up voter registration and participation in elections. The group’s treasurer, Debbie Coquerel, said the nonpartisan group was present at various protests and presented in local, public high schools.
“When I first started with the league about four or five years ago, we would go to the high schools, and maybe we would get a handful of students,” Coquerel said. “But the last time we were at one of the high schools, we had 31 students register to vote — this is the most we’ve ever had at a high school.”
Tuft University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that the turnout of 18-29 year old voters in the 2024 presidential election, 47%, was slightly lower than in 2020, but higher than the 39% turnout in 2016. Voters’ active decision to cast a ballot, Coquerel said, is “the big question” that the organization seeks to answer.
Mia Robbins-Aguilar, a co-founder of Middle Georgia 4 Choice, told the crowd, which was made up of primarily white, retirement-age protestors, it “must do uncomfortable things to benefit all of us.”
“It’s not enough to gather for a couple hours and be outraged,” Robbins-Aguilar said, urging the protestors to engage in conversation with neighbors and encourage their friends to vote.
The final speaker, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis, was deterred by about a dozen protestors who called out the agency’s memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency before most of the crowd filed out of the park.
The group was populated by members of the Middle Georgia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, many of whom appeared to be in their 20s and 30s. Tyler Collins, a vocal member of the DSA and disabled veteran, said the organization pulled out of co-hosting the protest when it was told Davis would speak.
“David Davis has no place at a No Kings rally,” Collins said. “It’s wonderful that everyone showed up, it’s wonderful that we have the people out here, but it does not change anything.”
John Glover, a retired civil servant from Bibb County, said he disagreed with the disruption of David Davis’ scheduled remarks. As the younger protestors shouted down multiple speakers, including Keene, who tried to give Davis a platform, Glover said it was not a fitting response.
“This is not a time for bickering and stuff like that against one of our elected officials,” Glover said. “We got a doggone good sheriff and they want to interrupt this rally, that’s what they want to do.”
After all but a few protestors had left, Collins and a fluorescent-vested “peacekeeper” volunteering with Macon Rising picked up pieces of litter left behind on the grass. Pink wreaths and ribbons hung from City Hall for the city’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival, and Keene remained positive.
“I mean, I’m a glass half-full kind of lady,” Keene said when asked if she was disappointed with how the protest ended. “Absolutely no bad taste in my mouth. What we did here in the first hour and 45 minutes was incredible, that’s what it’s about.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 6:59 PM.