Karen Cote didn’t need many words to explain why she drove to Lincoln’s Main Street on Saturday. She just pointed at her granddaughter.
“Doesn’t that say it all?” the Ellsworth resident said, fighting back emotion.
Her hand-painted sign referenced the Jeffrey Epstein files. It read: “Reminder — they were little girls.”
Cote was one of thousands who turned out across New Hampshire for the latest round of “No Kings” protests. From the North Country to the Seacoast, rallies took shape throughout the day in towns including Lincoln, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Concord. Nationwide, organizers said more than 3,000 events were planned.
The demonstrations come roughly 14 months into President Donald Trump’s second term. Protesters cited a wide range of grievances: the war in Iran, aggressive immigration enforcement by ICE, rising health care costs, Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and environmental concerns.
In Lincoln, a mountain-town protest draws honks and flags
Downtown Lincoln sits in the shadow of the White Mountains. On Saturday, demonstrators lined Main Street with signs while volunteer marshal Ellen Broderick waved at supportive drivers.
“The vast majority of responses are like this,” she said, turning toward a car whose driver leaned on the horn. Broderick said she saw injustice and violence coming from the federal government. Above all, she hoped more people would start taking action.
“When you start to shoot innocent people and take children away from their families for really no good reason, I think people have said, ‘that’s enough,'” she said.
Pat Parker, who attended with her daughter, shared that frustration. “With ICE too, going in and killing people — what the hell’s going on here?” she said. “People need to wake up because it’s very scary.”
Not everyone on the street agreed, though. At one point, two individuals climbed onto a nearby rooftop and waved a Confederate flag. Even so, organizer Grace Garvey said the turnout and energy among demonstrators left her encouraged.
Janet Adams, a 74-year-old retired science teacher from Woodstock, said this was her first rally ever. She came because of her 10 grandchildren — and a growing fear about what kind of world they’ll inherit.
“You want to leave a better world for them,” she said.
Nashua draws an estimated 2,000 despite the cold
In Nashua, hundreds gathered at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument for the city’s third No Kings protest. Despite colder temperatures, organizers estimated at least 2,000 people showed up. U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander and several state legislators also attended.
Dozens of cars honked in support as they passed the crowded streets. Jennifer Leone of Litchfield sat in a lawn chair with friends, holding a sign. When asked why she came, she didn’t mince words.
“He is an absolutely despicable human being,” she said of Trump. “In every regard, unacceptable.”
Nearby, Marcella Dube wore a frog suit — partly for warmth, partly to be disarming. As an Amherst resident and member of Moms Demand Action, she said showing up matters.
“It’s getting scary to live here,” Dube said. “The more people that come out, the more we do this, it makes a difference.”
John Cote of Hollis held an upside-down American flag. He called it a symbol of a nation in distress. “I respect the flag — people fought for it,” he said. “But our country needs help.”
Portsmouth protesters say they feel ‘alarmed and embarrassed’
On the Seacoast, hundreds more lined the streets around Portsmouth’s Market Square. Katie Jarvis, a retired teacher from Rye, said she has attended every local protest since Trump’s inauguration.
“I am alarmed, frightened, and embarrassed right now to be an American citizen,” she said. She pointed to what she described as an erosion of the rule of law — affecting both immigrants and citizens alike.
Beyond that, Jarvis expressed concern about institutions caving to the administration’s demands. She cited law firms and universities as examples. The rise of Christian nationalism, pushback against DEI initiatives, and threats to women’s rights also weighed on her.
Concord fills the State House lawn
Downtown Concord served as a natural gathering point, with the State House lawn drawing protesters well before the official noon start time. By early afternoon, demonstrators filled the plaza and stretched along both sides of North Main Street. The Good Trouble Band played anthems from an earlier era, finishing with Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction,” while car horns blared steadily louder.
Among the early arrivals was Kevin Corson, a mason whose work truck carries the message “Build homes not bombs.” He came partly to support Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Karishma Manzur. But his reasons ran deeper than any single race.
“I’m a Muslim, but I’m American also,” Corson said. “I don’t just represent Muslims — I represent Americans. I believe I’m on the front lines. It’s my responsibility and obligation as an American to try to change the system.”
