Thousands Protest Trump Policies Across Metro Atlanta

No Kings demonstrations call for defending democracy and standing up to authoritarianism.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 4:19pm

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Thousands of protesters gathered across Metro Atlanta on Saturday for the No Kings demonstrations, voicing opposition to the policies and actions of the Trump administration. Speakers at the rallies encouraged attendees to stand up for democracy, with the events taking place in locations like Downtown Atlanta, Decatur, Virginia-Highland, and Chamblee Dunwoody.

Why it matters

The No Kings protests were part of a nationwide movement to resist what demonstrators view as authoritarian and anti-democratic tendencies of the Trump presidency. The Atlanta-area events built on the city's history of civil rights activism, with protesters marching along routes previously used by the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The details

In Downtown Atlanta, a large group marched from the Memorial Drive Greenway to the State Capitol, where Sen. Raphael Warnock was among the speakers urging the crowd to defend democracy. Similar protests took place in Decatur, where around 200 people gathered along Clairmont Road, and in Virginia-Highland, where hundreds lined the sidewalks along North Highland Avenue. In Chamblee Dunwoody, about 75 people demonstrated at the corner of Chamblee Dunwoody and Mt. Vernon Road.

  • The protests took place on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
  • In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral procession came down what was then known as Hunter Street in Atlanta.
  • In 1962, hundreds of students protested segregation on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol.

The players

Raphael Warnock

A U.S. Senator from Georgia who spoke at the Downtown Atlanta rally, encouraging the crowd to stand up for democracy.

Rosario Palacios

The executive director of Common Cause Georgia, who gave a speech at the Downtown Atlanta protest referencing the city's civil rights history.

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What they’re saying

“The street we're about to walk down, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, was Hunter Street. In 1968, King's funeral procession came down that very street. And in 1962, we saw hundreds of students protest segregation on the Capitol grounds. Years later, thousands retraced Dr. King's route to the Capitol to honor his life and work. So when you March today, you're not making history out of thin air. You are walking down concrete of courage that has already marked the success of what today's event is relaunching for some of you, and starting for many others.”

— Rosario Palacios, Executive Director, Common Cause Georgia

“Stand up for our democracy.”

— Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senator

The takeaway

The No Kings protests in Metro Atlanta demonstrated the city's ongoing legacy of civil rights activism, with demonstrators drawing inspiration from past movements to voice opposition to the Trump administration's policies and actions. The events highlighted the determination of many Atlantans to defend democratic norms and institutions.