'No Kings' and the Fight for Moral Clarity

The press must cover all enemies of democracy without fear or favor.

Mar 29, 2026

Sign at a Berkeley, California ‘No Kings’ protest, March 28, 2026. Cory Doctorow

Widespread protests Saturday across the United States were a powerful reminder of democratic freedoms.

In most of the world, people can’t do this. Only democracies, in which votes matter, provide these protections. As I explained in advance of No Kings protests last year, it’s up to the media to make this clear.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 28, 2026. Phil Roeder

It was only months ago that brave Iranians tried yet again to stand up to their brutal Islamist regime. They were crushed violently, with mass deaths and rapes to ensure girls and young women don’t go to heaven.

Instead of doing its job, Big Media ran cover for the regime. The BBC flew to Tehran to broadcast straight-up propaganda.

The same First Amendment rights that protected Saturday’s protests also protect gatherings these participants disagree with. Recent demonstrators outside Gracie Mansion in New York City have the right to protest without being bombed by Islamist terrorists.

As I report in the latest episode, the Global Terrorism Index 2026 includes critical warnings about youth radicalization and terrorism from the left.

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The First Amendment also protects worshipers in a St. Paul church. They have the right to pray without a crowd bursting in, disrupting, and terrifying them — along with self-declared “journalists” who broadcast them and their minor children live to the world without permission.

The media should make all of this clear. It should report on the rightful anger of people disgusted by actions of Trump and his administration on everything from immigration to the federal workforce, the economy, and anti-democratic power grabs. Simultaneously, it should challenge participants on what they’re doing to fight dangers of the left.