Viroqua and Vernon County join the No Kings protest across the country

March 28, 2026

VIROQUA, Wis. – Tens of thousands of people joined “No Kings” protests against the war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s actions. Organizers held hundreds of rallies Saturday across the U.S. and in Europe, with Minnesota taking center stage and organizers expecting millions of people to participate.

Thousands of demonstrators stood packed shoulder to shoulder on the Minnesota Capitol lawn and surrounding streets in St. Paul, some holding upside down U.S. flags, historically a sign of distress. The event’s headliner was Bruce Springsteen, who sang “Streets of Minneapolis” to honor Minnesota residents who this winter protested Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts.

Washington, New York, London, Paris, and Rome had protests, but there also were rallies in smaller cities and towns. About 300 to 400 people showed up in Viroqua to protest, a slightly smaller showing than last October, but a number of protesters said they had even more issues they were concerned about, including the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis. In a show of solidarity with Minnesota, the Minnesota flag was flying, along with signs honoring Renee Goode and Alex Pretti.

Janet, a visitor taking a vacation in the area, expressed sadness over the deterioration of democratic norms and the actions of immigration enforcement but remained optimistic about the upcoming fall elections. “It hurts me to see what’s going on with democracy,” said Janet. “I’m sad about due process, about ICE, about lots of things, but I’m hopeful that this fall we’ll start to see some changes for the people against Trump.”

Debbie, who traveled to the town specifically for the rally, emphasized that her concerns span a wide array of mounting issues rather than just a single policy. “We made the trip up here just to be in this, be part of this,” said Debbie. “It is the full gamut. It isn’t one item, it just keeps compiling day after day after day.”

Linda noted that intense political disagreements are fracturing the nation and voiced her desire for a massive political shift in the upcoming voting cycle. “I think these political differences have actually divided the country rather than just people agreeing to disagree,” said Linda. “God, I hope the Democrats sweep the elections.”

Chris Leinberger shared her disgust over the president’s recent rhetoric regarding the late Robert Mueller and admitted she fears the upcoming presidential election could be suspended. “Last week when Trump said he was glad that Robert Mueller died, to me it was just like right there in the pinnacle that who could say that and be the president,” said the protester. “I’m just hoping that we can have the election in November. That’s the thing that worries me, that somehow Trump is gonna find a way to cancel it.”

Steve from La Farge said that the executive branch is consistently breaking the law and called for stronger congressional intervention to halt the alleged behavior. “Every day there’s something more illegal that’s happening from the White House, and I think it’s time somebody put a stop to it,” said the demonstrator. “He’s a criminal. That’s for one. That’s the one difference. He’s a grifter and a criminal. And he is a liar.”