‘No Kings’ protest in Anchorage features political messaging, coordinated visuals, and national ties

By SUZANNE DOWNING

 March 28, 2026 – Demonstrators gathered at Town Square Park in downtown Anchorage on Saturday for a “No Kings” protest that organizers promoted as opposition to federal immigration enforcement and recent US military action in Iran, marking a shift from last year’s events that largely focused on the war in Ukraine.

The Anchorage rally opened with a land acknowledgement delivered by far-left gubernatorial candidate Meda DeWitt, followed by an invocation from congressional candidate Matt Schultz, a pairing that underscored the political tone of the event from the outset. There were signs opposing Sen. Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich. Schultz, a Democrat, is running against Begich for the one Alaska seat in Congress. This gave the appearance of a campaign rally for Schultz, complete with people attending in what appeared to be their pajamas.

Alaska Public Media described the crowd as “sad, angry, and fed up,” and illustrated its coverage by using a photograph supplied to the media organization by one of the event’s organizers at Stand Up Alaska, suggesting that the public media station coordinated with the protesters.

After some yelling at Town Square, protesters marched to the Delaney Park Strip, where a large section of snow appeared to have been groomed in advance to assist the protesters. Once assembled, participants positioned themselves on the prepared surface, which had been spray-painted to guide their foot placement, forming the words “FUCK ICE” when viewed from above. The staging allowed organizers to capture coordinated drone photographs, which were then distributed to media outlets.

It was unclear who prepared the groomed snow area for the protesters, though its appearance suggested advance coordination and likely involved taxpayer resources. The aerial imagery quickly circulated on social media through accounts affiliated with the organizing groups. Public Media, however, didn’t use that photo but instead posted a photo with a different message spelled out by the group:  “ICE OUT.”

The Anchorage demonstration was organized by Stand Up Alaska, Action Alaska, the 907 Initiative, and Alaska March On, in coordination with national progressive organizations including Indivisible and the 50501 Movement. Many of the participants were older white individuals, who appeared to be of retirement age.

Similar protests took place across Alaska. In Fairbanks, several hundred demonstrators gathered downtown. In Juneau, the crowd was estimated at roughly 1,500 participants. Other communities also reported smaller gatherings as part of the nationwide day of action.

The day was part of a broader national “No Kings” movement. Previous demonstrations under the same banner were held last June and October, when millions of Americans reportedly participated in protests across the country.

While earlier “No Kings” rallies emphasized foreign policy issues such as Ukraine, this year’s messaging focused more heavily on opposition to immigration enforcement — particularly ICE.

The Anchorage event’s coordinated staging, political speakers, and prepared aerial imagery reflected an organized effort. Past protests involved Outside organizers flying to Alaska to assist with the spectacle.