Redlands ‘No Kings’ Rally Draws 3,500 as Teacher, Nurse Voice Fears for Students and Patients

A “No Kings” rally drew about 3,500 people to downtown Redlands on Saturday, March 28, according to the Redlands Police Department, as demonstrators packed Peace Corner and lined Orange Street in one of the city’s largest recent public protests. Organizers said the crowd stretched from City Hall and the mall area to side streets and toward Trader Joe’s, underscoring the scale of opposition voiced at the event.

But beyond the crowd size, two themes surfaced repeatedly in interviews with attendees: fear over the future of public education and concern that people are avoiding medical care.

Karen Arnstein, a Redlands resident, teacher and researcher, said she attended because the stakes felt personal.

“It’s my kids’ future. It’s my future. It’s our country’s future,” Arnstein said. “I’m a teacher and a researcher, and I’m losing my job in five months because the Department of Education did not fund the Javits grant. My work is helping teach kids every day and helping school districts identify underrepresented gifted and talented students.”

Arnstein also said the turnout itself felt significant for Redlands.

“I’ve never seen this many people out in Redlands before,” she said. “This is a really conservative city, so to see people come out, be friendly and be helpful — the feeling of solidarity and community is incredible.”

Brenda, a Redlands registered nurse, said she has seen fear affect patient behavior in her field since President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“We noticed right away after Trump’s inauguration that there was a huge decrease in the number of Latino patients,” Brenda said. “We thought it was likely because they were afraid to come in.”

She said the issue extends far beyond missed appointments.

“It impacts everything. It impacts public health,” Brenda said. “If a lot of people aren’t seeking treatment for illnesses, especially things that are communicable or can be spread through the community, that puts public health at risk. It doesn’t benefit anyone to deny health care to people.”

Brenda said delayed care can have devastating consequences.

“You have people not being treated for cancer, people not being diagnosed in time until it’s too late,” she said. “They haven’t been seeking treatment because they’re afraid to come in.”

At the same time, she urged people not to stay away from care.

“I think most people in the health care industry care more about treating people and making sure their health is taken care of,” Brenda said. “People should not fear seeking treatment.”

The event was coordinated by Together for Redlands and Redlands Area Democrats. Mike Paisner of Together for Redlands said the demonstration reflected broad frustration with the current administration.

“We had a great crowd out here, more than 3,000 people,” Paisner said. “Everyone here was united in pushing back against this administration. We need leaders who are going to focus on real problems people are facing, not manufacture crises just to cause chaos.”

Paisner said organizers stayed in communication with the city and coordinated with the broader No Kings network to keep the event safe and orderly.

Quinn Shay, a student volunteer with Together for Redlands and Rainbow Rose, said local concerns were also tied to what students see happening in schools and national politics.

“A lot of these policies have been influenced by our president,” Shay said, citing concerns over book banning, flag banning, and what he described as hostility toward immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. “We want immigrants and families to stay safe, happy and healthy.”

Shay also described the rally as notably peaceful.

“Today’s rally has been genuinely quite peaceful,” he said. “I’m proud of how our city came together and how many people came out.”

Arnstein said that, for her, the demonstration was also about speaking up before fear becomes silence.

“I don’t want to see my friends or neighbors disappear,” she said. “Part of it is speaking up, speaking out, knowing who’s in your community, supporting people. It gets back to basics, really. And vote.”