From St. George to Logan, thousands of Utahns gathered in the streets Saturday to protest President Donald Trump as part of the third national “No Kings” day of protests.

Through signs, chants and songs, protesters railed against Trump and his policies, as well as the proposed ICE detention center in Salt Lake City, the war in Iran, the Jeffrey Epstein files and more in rallies across the state.

“None of us should live in constant fear of being detained or deported,” Samantha Reagan, a student organizer with the University of Utah’s MEChA chapter — a national organization representing Latino students — told a crowd of about 8,000 to 10,000 people who gathered in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday afternoon.

“This terror campaign has treated all immigrants as second-class citizens, regardless of their legal status,” Reagan added.

The Salt Lake City crowd marched through shut down streets from Washington Square Park to the Capitol, with many shouting, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” along with, “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”

Jeanetta Williams, president of the NAACP’s Salt Lake branch, called on leaders to oppose the ICE detention center, arguing that Salt Lake City’s infrastructure should not be used to “cage” families.

“Salt Lake City is a place of community, dignity and opportunity,” Williams told the crowd. “Immigrant families are not outsiders. They are essential.”

Ahead of the march, Tim Jeffryes stood near the City and County Building, wrapped in an American flag. He said he had been out at an overpass near Salt Lake City every day putting up signs to advertise the “No Kings” protests.

Jeffryes said he protests because he values democracy and wants to defend “due process.”

“I’m terrified,” Jeffryes said. “I feel like this is the only thing I can do.”

Others like Amanda Hansen came out to protest the war on Iran, which has caused gas prices to spike in the U.S. Hansen, who said she’d retired from the U.S. Army, thinks the war on Iran is “horrible.”

“I’m here to not just protest what I think are really bad decisions, but to help promote community and to promote working towards a brighter future,” said Hansen, who is also a volunteer with Utah’s “singing resistance.”

The “singing resistance” is part of a growing national movement that has gained momentum in the months since the fatal ICE shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis. It made its debut in Utah last week at a protest over a planned ICE detention center in Salt Lake City.

On Saturday, the group kicked off the demonstration with a series of call-and-response songs including, “This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me” and “No one is getting left behind this time.”

By the time the marchers reached the Capitol, they were met by hundreds more already gathered with whistles, cheering and applause.

The energy built as music poured from speakers playing songs by Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas and others. Signs lifted into the air, and voices chanted, “This is what democracy looks like.”

The atmosphere remained peaceful, even celebratory. Cheers rippled through the crowd as people waved their signs and some even danced.

This was the third “No Kings” protest in Utah’s capital since June, when armed security volunteer Matthew Scott Alder is accused of fatally shooting fashion designer and father of two Afa Ah Loo, one of roughly 10,000 peaceful participants.

Alder was charged with manslaughter in December, and this month, Ah Loo’s widow filed a lawsuit against him, other volunteers and organizers of the June event, alleging failures in planning and safety.

Volunteer safety marshals completed de-escalation and protest safety training led by local community leaders and activists from across the country ahead of Saturday’s rally and committed to not bringing weapons, organizers said.

Some in Saturday’s crowd did carry guns, though. Two men wearing red berets walked ahead of the protesters — one carrying an AR-style rifle and the other with a pistol holstered on his thigh. They described themselves as communists and said they were there to help create a safe space for everyone, adding that they were not affiliated with the demonstration’s organizers. Another man carrying an AR-style rifle walked with them at times during the protest.

Upbeat crowds gathers in St. George

Perched in a lawn chair and holding a sign that read, “I’m 91-years-old and mad as hell,” Lolita Hagio said that given the state of the nation, she wasn’t about to sit this “No Kings” protest out.

“My brain is still active,” the St. George resident said, “and anyone with an active brain can see the terrible damage Trump is doing to our country. Since I’m mobile and still able to get around, I decided to come to the protest with friends.”

Hagio was not alone. At St. George’s Vernon Worthen Park, there was a festive air as an estimated 1,000 or more protesters mingled, shared laughs, compared placards and basked in the camaraderie of being around politically kindred spirits.

Jeff Botkin was no exception. Dressed as a chicken and waving an upside-down American flag, the retired University of Utah pediatrics professor garnered plenty of smiles and attention.

Still, Botkin did not pull any punches when asked about Trump and the direction of the nation.

“It is disastrous,” he lamented. “Trump is leading us in the wrong direction with respect to the economy and now with the war. From my perspective as a physician, he has also drastically cut healthcare and seriously undermined the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. These are all serious problems for the country, and it will take years to repair all the damage.”

Marching in Moab

In Moab, the “No Kings” rally drew nearly 350 protesters, consisting of not only locals, but tourists, too.

The protest was peaceful and energetic, with a drummer and saxophone player accompanying the rhythmic chants of attendees, folks wearing inflatable frog and axolotl costumes, while a constant cacophony of car and truck horns showing support.

Rally attendees marched on Center and Main Streets, which were especially busy with vehicles as Saturday marked the first day of Easter Jeep Safari, an event that is expected to attract up to 20,000 visitors to the Moab area.

Organizers said they were “a little worried” because of the high volume of traffic, and locals often leave town due to visitor overcrowding, but organizers said they were still “pleasantly surprised” with the turnout and that locals weren’t the only ones who participated.

“We saw a lot of folks who came up to us today, who were there on vacation this weekend, and they knew they weren’t going to be in their hometown for the ‘No Kings’ event, and so they wanted to come to Moab’s,” organizer Laura Borichevsky said.

There were no organized counterprotesters. A lone truck with a Trump/Vance flag flying and an American flag flying from the bed drove by and a couple of motorists offered rally attendees the middle finger.

Thousands rally in Provo, Logan

Up north, roughly 3,000 people from Provo, Orem, Pleasant Grove and other surrounding towns crowded the sidewalks outside Provo City Hall on Saturday morning.

American and Mexican flags blew in the wind, thousands of signs — colorful in both style and language — waved and a car towing an orange papier-mâché caricature of Trump drove repeatedly up and down the street to a chorus of cheers.

“[Being here] brings a sense of solidarity and a sense of togetherness,” said 23-year-old college student Gracie, who lives in Provo. “It fuels me until the next movement to [help] me get through crazy things.”

Provo police reported no issues and highly peaceful, cooperative organizers and protesters. Meanwhile, protesters levied a slew of criticism against Trump for his handling of the Epstein files, mass ICE deployments and the death of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, as well as the ongoing war in Iran.

In Cache Valley, more than 1,500 residents rallied on the courthouse steps, contributing to the global No Kings protest effort. Surrounded by American, Pride and Ukrainian flags, attendees of all ages expressed their discontent with the federal government and professed their love for their country.

Alongside long-time protesters were many who had never attended a protest before, like Beth Hacker, a 21-year-old Utah State University student.

“I got so excited to come see how many people came out to support stuff like this,” Hacker said. “To be able to come and stand up for change and to show that I care about … my life and other people’s lives is just really awesome.”

Kathy Chudoba, a 71-year-old attendee and Cache Valley resident, offered future generations a few words of inspiration.

“We really can make a difference when we’re involved and we let others know how we feel,” Chudoba said.