Hundreds attend No Kings rallies in Canton, Farmington

Protestors at the No Kings rally on the Canton Town Green on Saturday. It was one of more than 3,000 similiar protests across the country. (More photos)

On Saturday, there were more than 3,300 No Kings protests in all 50 states in the United States and in several European cities.

There were also three rallies in the Farmington Valley with protests in Canton, Farmington and Granby, organized by the Farmington Valley chapter of Indivisible.

Men and women of all ages protested the policies of the Trump administration including the war in Iran, the administration’s mass deportation agenda and the violation of civil and constitutional rights of American citizens and immigrants by ICE.

National organizers were hoping that the rallies would be one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history. The flagship protest was held in Minnesota with scheduled appearances from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, U.S. Rep. Ilan Omar of Minnesota, entertainers Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and Jane Fonda.

A protester holds up a sign on Route 4 in Farmington during Saturday’s No Kings rally. (More photos)

The largest rally in Connecticut was at the state capital in Hartford with consecutive rallies at 10 a.m. and noon. According to the CT Mirror, an estimated 5,500 people attended the rally that heard from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Gov. Ned Lamont.

There were 56 rallies scheduled across the state.

There were several hundred protesters in Canton and Farmington, respectively, on Saturday.

In Canton, the protest was on the Town Green with protestors on both sides of Route 44 and on one side of Dowd Avenue. In Farmington protestors were spread out over about a quarter mile along Route 4 near the entrance to the high school and the historic Gridley-Parsons-Staples homestead.

“We have people who are protesting here for the first time,” said Holly McGrath of Simsbury, a member of Indivisible Farmington Valley, who helps organize the events. “It helps grow the community and give people hope.”

An estimated 650 people were in Canton while an estimated 600 people were in Granby and 400 in Farmington and Torrington, according to McGrath.

A protester holds up a sign on the Town Green in Canton during Saturday’s No Kings rally.(More photos)

In a news release, organizers provided some thoughts from some residents who attended the protest in Canton.

Canton’s Dani Scott said, “The small-town protests are just as important and impactful as the big city protests. They are accessible to many who lack transportation and create opportunities for neighbors to gather to build community, share concerns and know that they are not alone.”

Cynthia Fridlich of Canton said, “I am a 9/11 survivor, and my father was in the service in 1943. My husband is the son of a holocaust survivor. We have three granddaughters who are going to be growing up here. It has to change. We can’t let this go on.”

Mark Daley of Canton said he hadn’t been to a protest since the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Why did he attend on Saturday? “It has to end,” he said simply.

Simsbury’s Karen Cordener felt she had to attend and protest. “I must do what is right for this country to return us to democracy and decency.”

Linda Palladino, also of Simsbury, said protest is necessary “because so many of our rights are being taken away by fascism and innocent people are being killed. There is no reason for any of that in the USA.”

For nearly a year now, there has been a weekly protest every Saturday morning on the Town Green in Canton from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., McGrath said. Attendance varies with the weather, she said.

“I really think the weekly protests are important because they give people a place to gather and get to know each other and build a community and know that they are not alone,” McGrath said.

Previous No Kings protests were held in October 2025 and June 2025 with rallies in Canton on both occasions while Farmington held a rally in June.

Protestors lined up on Route 4 outside Farmington High for about a quarter mile during Saturday’s No Kings rally. (More photos)

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