Thousands of demonstrators marched through Center City on Saturday to protest actions taken by 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump’s administration.
Protesters gathered near City Hall before marching down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The March 28 rally in Philadelphia was part of a series of over 3,000 demonstrations across the country — marking the third wave of "No Kings" protests since the beginning of Trump's second term in office.
Protesters chanted anti-Trump slogans and held signs as they marched to listen to several members of Congress and Philadelphia community organizers speak.
Among the speakers at the protest were United States Representative Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), and founder of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition Michael Coard.
Several protesters and speakers criticized several of the Trump administration's policy efforts, including the ongoing federal government's immigration enforcement crackdown.
“Whether it is Epstein or an insurrection or ICE, the inhumanity of immigration, from Venezuela to Greenland to Iran to Putin, we are better than this, because [the] American people are better than this,” Dean said at the protest.
Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Rabb (D-200), who graduated from Penn in 2006 with a master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics, joined protesters on the ground. Rabb is currently running to represent Penn's district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“We have to stand up when it matters most, even if it’s that great political sacrifice,” Rabb told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
“I don’t think you should have events like this that do not explicitly and forcibly address those things as systems of harm that have gotten us to this moment,” he said. “We can’t kill the demon if we don’t name the demon.”
“When I’m elected to Congress, I will be addressing them by continuing to do what I’ve always done, which is speak truth to power,” Rabb added.
About 20 members of Penn Democrats attended the rally, helping protesters register to vote.
“We wanted to come out and stand up against the Trump administration and show that there are truly no kings in this country,” College junior and Penn Dems President Aidan Carroll told the DP. “There are truly so many different reasons to be out today, but we’re united together to stand up against the Trump administration and make sure that we’re electing Democrats this year in the critical midterm elections.”
College first-year and Penn Dems member Leo DeTurris said that he was there to “demonstrate to our allies ... that there’s a movement in this country that is opposed to what’s happening.”
The last “No Kings” rally took place on Oct. 15, 2025, when demonstrators marched from City Hall to Independence Mall. At the time, several members of Congress and community leaders spoke to the crowd outside of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center.
Staff reporter Luke Petersen covers national politics and can be reached at petersen@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow him on X @LukePetersen06.
Staff reporter Lavanya Mani covers legal affairs and can be reached at mani@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies English. Follow her on X @lavanyamani_.
