More than 1,000 people lined Broad Street in Hopewell Borough Saturday afternoon as part of the nationwide “No Kings” day of peaceful protest, joining what organizers say was one of the largest single-day mass demonstrations in modern U.S. history.
Locally, the gathering stretched from Princeton Avenue to well beyond Maple Street, with demonstrators holding homemade signs, waving American flags, and cheering as passing cars honked in support. The three-block stretch remained filled for the duration of the 90-minute demonstration.
The Hopewell protest was one of more than 2,700 held across all 50 states on Saturday. According to a statement released by the No Kings coalition, nearly seven million people participated nationwide.
Bridge banners visible along Route 295
Before the local gathering began, banners were hung over Route 295 at the Route 206 overpass in Lawrenceville, where motorists could see messages including “A Republic, If You Can Keep It”and“No Kings Since 1776.” The banners were visible throughout the morning and into early afternoon before demonstrators relocated to other afternoon protests including in Hopewell.
A peaceful demonstration that mixed urgency with community presence
The tone in Hopewell was spirited but calm: people applauded, cheered, played drums, and displayed signs referencing the Constitution, due process, voting rights, and the idea that the United States was never intended to be ruled by a monarch.
Many participants wore yellow — a color the movement has asked supporters to adopt for visibility. As the coalition explained in its national statement, “Yellow is a bright, unmistakable reminder that millions of us stand together in the belief that America belongs to its people, not to kings.”
Signs ranged from solemn (“Defend Democracy,” “Hands Off Our Rights”) to satirical (“Make Lying Wrong Again,” “The Only Orange Monarch I Care About is the Butterfly”). One young child sitting on a parent’s shoulders waved a small U.S. flag while holding a colorful hand-drawn poster.
Alongside the signs were dogs wearing cardboard placards and costumed participants — including inflatable animal suits that have become a recurring visual element at demonstrations around the country. The trend traces back to protests in Oregon, where a demonstrator in an inflatable frog costume became widely shared online at an ICE protest.
A drum circle formed near Hopewell Fare, providing a steady beat throughout the event. Demonstrators also distributed small pocket U.S. flags, which were visible up and down Broad Street.
A national day of action
The Hopewell turnout was among several in the region. Demonstrations were also held Saturday in Princeton, Trenton, Montclair, Morristown, Toms River, Red Bank, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C., among hundreds of other cities.
In Trenton, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman addressed a crowd, telling demonstrators, “We are not a throwaway people… We love this country, and we love the Constitution of the United States.” She urged continued civic participation, including strategic economic pressure campaigns and community organizing.
No Kings organizers described the day as a unified response to what they called threats to democratic governance. In its national statement issued Saturday, the coalition wrote:
“In one of the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history, nearly seven million Americans gathered today… standing together in nonviolent defiance of authoritarianism and affirming that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings.”
Local residents joined a broader message
While the Hopewell gathering did not feature formal speeches, its message was consistent with the national effort — emphasizing rule of law, constitutional accountability, and a rejection of authoritarian leadership.
Participants represented a wide range of ages, and cars rolled past in a near-constant stream of honks, cheers, thumbs-up gestures, and raised peace signs from drivers and passengers. The energy remained steady throughout the demonstration as late arrivals continued to fill in along the curb.
A historic scale, with more actions expected
The No Kings coalition said Saturday’s turnout was significantly larger than its June day of action and signaled plans for additional mobilization heading into winter. “Our work continues in big cities and small towns around this country and we will not back down,” the coalition wrote.
