Multiple towns rally for ‘No Kings’
Hundreds turn out across the Peninsula to protest the country’s direction
Dick Brubaker of Ellsworth holds a sign with his daughter, Amy Brubaker of Blue Hill. The two attended the “No Kings” rally in Ellsworth. Photo by Steele Hays.
March 30, 2026
By John Boit
THE PENINSULA—Some came with signs. Others with just their voices. One man dressed in an eagle costume.
But the message across various towns—Bucksport, Blue Hill, Castine, Penobscot, Deer Isle and others—was that protesters reject America’s current trajectory on a litany of issues, from the military strikes against Iran to the the rising cost of living. They joined some 50 other protests across Maine, and millions of other citizens protesting across the country for another nationwide “No Kings” rally.
In Penobscot, some 70 people gathered in the elementary school gym and then walked to town hall. Most drivers passing by honked, wave or gave a thumbs up. One pickup truck peeled around the corner and revved its engine in a sign of displeasure with the protesters.
“Do we have a mob of Marxist anarchists and agitators here? I don’t think so,” said Lee Cline, vice-chair of one of the Hancock County Democrats.
“We are living under a government of the bullies for the billionaire. We are outraged that this madman-in-chief has started a pointless and illegal war…We are watching real time the dismantling of our democracy…and the media, which should be serving as a crucial watchdog, our mainstream media, the fourth estate, is being bought out by oligarchs and turning into mouthpieces for the state.”
A selection of photos from protests in various local towns follows.
A Penobscot protester in the gym at the town’s school prior to an organized march to town hall. Photo by John Boit.
Protesters gathered on Castine’s town green. Photo by John Boit.
Meg Marden of Blue Hill and Ben Mendlowitz of Brooklin were joined by their canine friend Jib at the rally in Blue Hill. Photo by John Boit.
Mike and Susie Fay of Penobscot led the crowd in Castine in a protest song. Photo by John Boit.
Susan Webster, who helped organize the rally in Deer Isle, dressed in flyers from the previous “Vote No on Question 1” campaign on voting rights. Photo by Sabrina Nickerson.
The rally in Deer Isle. Photo by Peter Neill.
Penobscot protesters marched from the school to town hall. Photo by John Boit.
