‘No Blood for Oil’ — 1,000-plus at No Kings anti-Trump protest at SC State House

Saturday’s “No Kings” signs denouncing President Donald Trump came in all shapes, sizes and colors.

In blue, red and yellow ink, they said things like “Honk if your dog is smarter than Trump” and “No Kings No War” and “I Love America” and “Resist” and “Vote” and “No Blood for Oil.”

Held by hundreds of people, the signs were the most colorful part of a crowd estimated at more than 1,000 that showed up at the SC State House in downtown Columbia on Saturday.

The people — white, Black, young and old — stood, sat on grass and on folding chairs they had brought. They flanked Gervais Street and held their signs at passing cars. Many cars honked in agreement with the protesters.

Under electric blue skies and cool temperatures, protesters said they were exercising their constitutional right to peaceably assemble, listen to speakers and be with others in a public space, others who shared their outrage at one or more of the many unusual policy changes and actions taken by Trump since he took office in January 2025 for the second time.

They told a reporter they couldn’t understand his infatuation with putting so many gold decorations in the Oval Office, his erasing Black history in museums and other places, his launching a war in Iran and his pardoning of more than 1,500 rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Neal Vernon, 48, a social worker, of Columbia, led a chant saying “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” on Gervais Street, as he held a sign that said, “Support US Law Not Trump Law.”

Vernon said “fear” of Trump’s changes brought him to the rally because he felt he had to take action.

“This is the first time in my life that all the evident truths in the Constitution are now questionable truths and the actions of the executive branch are pushing the limits on separation of church and state, civil rights and using our tax dollars kind of however the executive branch wants to,” Vernon said.

The State House event was one of more than 3,000 “No Kings” rallies held across the country to protest Trump.

Other No Kings rallies in South Carolina were planned for Greenville, Spartanburg, Clemson, Charleston, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Conway, Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, Florence and elsewhere. It was the third “No Kings” rally in South Carolina and around the nation since last June.

Those who came

Jennifer Duffy, 49, a researcher in Columbia held signs memorializing Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two activists in Minneapolis who were killed last winter by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out immigrant sweeps in that city. People with cell phones took videos of the killings, calling into question the supposed justifications federal agents put forth.

“It’s important to know how important it is to protect our freedom to observe and to be able to protest peacefully,” said. Duffy, adding ICE agents should have body cameras and not wear masks covering their faces. “That would be a good start.”

The deaths of Good and Pretti triggered nationwide protests against ICE and alleged overreach by the Trump administration in deportation matters. Rock star Bruce Springsteen wrote and performed a protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis” about the killings.

Sam Gibbons, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan and the key organizer of the Columbia event, said he was happy with Saturday’s turnout at the State House. More than 20 speakers held forth to the crowd over more than two hours, he said.

Speakers included officials from the S.C. League of Women Voters, the ACLU, a high school student from Charleston and candidate for governor Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland.

“Obviously were not as big as October, but in October, we encouraged all of our groups to send people from around the state to the State House. I would compare this to the first No Kings back in June — I would say we are bigger than that event,” Gibbons said.

“And today there were more events around the state. So I think our turnout today will be bigger than in October when you take into account all of the events today in South Carolina,” Gibbons said.

Not everyone wanted their names to be published as being at an anti-Trump rally.

Some said they feared retaliation or creating dissension in their family circle.

“I don’t really have anything to say,” said one woman who didn’t want to be identified. She and a friend each held colorful signs that said, “Democracy dies when we stay silent.”

One man, Gregory Kitchens, 70, of Irmo, a retired IT worker, held a sign that said “He swore to defend the Constitution. Liar!”

“I’m worried about the fact that this administration does not respect the Constitution. They try to break it as best they can and wait to see if the Supreme Court is going to slap their wrist or not. We have lasted too long to let our country go down that way,” Kitchens said.

On his first day in office Trump tried to do ban birthright citizenship by an executive order, said Kitchens.

“The president does not have the right to change the Constitution on his own. He either doesn’t understand the oath of office, or he just doesn’t care,” Kitchens said.

Lynn Teague, 77, a vice president of the S.C. League of Women Voters who spoke to the crowd and urged them to vote, said afterwards that “today’s rally was successful in informing and energizing people who care about our state and nation.

“It’s always important for people to understand that they are not alone in their fight to improve our state and country.”

People came and went at Saturday’s rally. The 1,000-plus person attendance figure is a State newspaper estimate. Police do not give out crowd estimates.

Police from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Department of Public Safety were visible among the crowd Saturday. There also appeared to be law officers on top of the tall Synovus office building on Main Street looking down at the crowd through binoculars.

News reports said that Trump played golf on Saturday and White House officials were not concerned with the protests. Another report quoted White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson calling the protests “Trump derangement therapy sessions.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 7:24 PM.