From shopping center sidewalks in Hunt Valley to the amphitheater lawn at The Chrysalis in Columbia and the gates of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Marylanders flooded public spaces Saturday with homemade signs, inflatable crowns and chants of “No Kings.”

Cowbells clanged over traffic. Drivers leaned on their horns in support. Families fanned out across highway overpasses and park paths as the state joined thousands of coordinated demonstrations nationwide for a third “No Kings” day opposing President Donald Trump’s administration.

By late morning, retirees, students, federal workers and first-time protesters stood shoulder to shoulder on grass medians and sidewalks. Some wore Burger King crowns taped with protest slogans, and others led crowds in song.

Organizers said the movement is aimed at defending democratic norms, pushing back on federal immigration enforcement and the war in Iran, and confronting what they see as power consolidated at the expense of constitutional rights.

In downtown Baltimore, nearly 1,000 people rallied and marched on Saturday, blocking traffic and intermingling with some Orioles fans heading to Camden Yards for the 4:05 p.m. game. Fans passing by yelled mixed messages to the protesters — some vehemently in support of their cause and others exasperated by the showing.

People popped out of nearby buildings and events to watch the massive group make its way around the city.

Motorists on Conway Street in the lanes parallel to the marchers didn’t seem to mind the chaos. For several minutes, vehicles honked and passengers waved at the crowd from their open windows.

Vince Vazquez, a 43-year-old Baltimore resident, said he put this rally on his calendar after missing the last two “No Kings” protests. He said he was particularly moved to join the protest after activist Renee Good’s death amid the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

“It’s our other opportunity outside of voting to actually have a voice,” Vazquez said. “I don’t think we get many of them.”

Hundreds of people showed up along sidewalks in Baltimore County at the Hunt Valley Towne Centre on Saturday morning, with people pouring in from the parking lot as the protest began. The sign-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd stretched the length of the shopping center along Shawan Road.

Marisa Basignani, 49, a law student at the University of Baltimore, was at the Saturday morning protest with her husband and friends. As a future lawyer with a special interest in constitutional law, she said she worried about the Trump administration’s attacks on the First Amendment and the potential “chilling effect” on free speech.

“It is so alarming and dangerous,” Basignani said. “They’re trying to attack those rights to gain more power for themselves.”

She said she hopes the “No Kings” protests get “bigger and bigger” in the future, like the one at Hunt Valley did after its last showing in October.

About 20 minutes into the demonstration, chanting protesters began to cross the street to line both sides of Shawan Road with signs and inflatable costumes. Organizers, dressed in warm clothes on the windy morning, were handing out water, buttons and doughnuts.

Kelli McClelland, who is running for the Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education, stood on one end of the block with her two sons. She said she believes in a democracy where everyone can voice their opinion and constituents are listened to, which she feels is not the case at the federal or local level.

“Democracy starts at the most local level. It starts at our school boards and goes all the way up to the United States,” she said.

Some vehicles zoomed by the crowd, but several drivers stopped to honk and wave. The crowd was encouraged, yelling back and waving their hands. Just before noon, the grass on both sides of the sidewalks was packed. Those who had just arrived squirmed to find an empty piece of lawn to stand on.

‘This isn’t the way to lead’

Those old and young, human and animal, descended upon The Chrysalis in Columbia, toting protest posters and donning costumes.

Among them were Audrey and Charles Davis, a married couple from Odenton, who had “No Kings” taped on the Burger King crowns they wore. They follow in the footsteps of their ancestors who marched, said the couple, who are in their 60s.

“The more people see us out here, the more people will come out here,” Audrey Davis said. “We need to let our children know: This isn’t the way to lead.”

The Davises attended a protest in Anne Arundel County last month and noticed a mix of ages, races and ethnicities. They came to Columbia to take a stand for what’s right and show their disapproval in the national leadership, Charles Davis said.

“The leaders of this country should be able to shut this person down,” he said, “but they won’t.”

JChris, an urban Latin pop singer of Brazilian and Peruvian descent who grew up in Maryland, led the crowd in song. He sang a rendition of Andra Day’s “Rise Up” and an original “No Kings” song. Attendees joined, clapping and singing, “No kings. No kings. We want democracy. We’re singing no kings, no kings. We want our country free.”

Dustyn Dawn, a drag performer and activist in Howard County, typically does not get into garb unless there’s a booking fee associated with it. Saturday, though, she started getting ready at 7:30 a.m. for the demonstration in Columbia because “I’m just pissed off,” she said.

“It’s just the lawlessness of the administration and the absolute refusal of this administration to abide by the rule of law and any checks and balances,” Dawn said.

She dawned a full-on leopard-print bodysuit and corset and had fake slashes on her cheeks to show her involvement in the fight. She, along with her partner, was there to raise awareness and join others ready to fight.

“Our spirit and our ability to fight is not being tampered with,” Dawn said.

People used strollers, carts, walkers or wheelchairs. Nicolle Brazil’s son, Noah Brazil, isn’t that young, but she wanted the 19-year-old to tag along. She’s a member of Howard County’s NAACP, and she brought him to see how they both can get more involved — something organizers hoped people would do.

“I want him to see that we can be a part of this,” Nicolle Brazil said. “You don’t have to wait until you’re older.”

Saturday’s crowd was one of the largest Brazil said she’s seen. It’s refreshing, she said, and a good show of representation for people concerned about the country.

Crowds keep getting bigger

Karen Joy and her friend, Linda Bossard, were on neutral ground at the intersection of Broken Land and Little Patuxent parkways.

The women, who live in Howard County, have been to at least four of these together and noted the crowds keep getting bigger and the horns are louder and longer.

“The first time, it was a small crowd and a few people passing would honk their horns,” Joy, 69, said. “Now it’s solid horns.”

Columbia’s protesters cheered to the symphony of car horns as drivers rode down Little Patuxent Parkway. The two friends think it’s a sign more people are getting angrier — and they should be, Bossard said.

Bossard, 76, still works and gets a paycheck and health insurance, but she knows many in her age group who aren’t so fortunate. She joins these protests using her walker on behalf of them.

“Most people don’t have what I have,” Bossard said, “and those are the people I worry about.”

The protesters expressed their creativity and frustration through signs. Joy made her “Abort Unwanted Presidencies” sign in just a couple of hours and brings it to most demonstrations. “I thought it was a good play on words. I like that it’s offensive,” Joy said, laughing.

About 300-400 people gathered Saturday outside the Medical Center Metro station at the entrance to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, where a regular weekend protest targets cuts and restrictions on public science.

This week’s rally was organized by 27 UNIHTED, an activist network of former NIH employees led by Anna Culbertson, a former NIH scientific program specialist laid off last year. In addition to the demonstration, the group hosted a food drive to support Transportation Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security employees who have gone without pay during the partial government shutdown.

Culbertson said participants are alarmed by what they see as growing censorship of science, along with funding reductions and staff cuts at NIH. Many in attendance were current or former NIH employees and their families. “We’re all about advocating for the future of biomedical research,” she said.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the protests, saying in an email to The Banner, “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”

In its response, the administration also characterized the demonstrations as being backed by left-leaning advocacy organizations and major progressive donors.

Protesters first rallied for a “No Kings” day in June and then again in October. This weekend, hundreds more events have popped up around the country, including a few more in the Baltimore area and beyond. Organizers expected about 3,000 rallies across states.

What’s different this time?

Andy Solages with Indivisible Maryland, a national network of activists, said organizers are encouraging attendees to connect with community groups at the events.

“‘No Kings 3’ is an invitation to get involved with an organization,” Solages said. “That’s where the less visible, more meaningful work takes place.”

They hope attendees will “participate in the work of building something better” even after Saturday.

Solages said the previous two protests in his hometown, Frederick, brought in people who now help with what he called legislative action work. There is also a new slogan: “No Kings, No Camps,” in reference to the warehouse in Hagerstown that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking to retrofit into an immigration detention center.

Along with their outrage over the widespread immigration crackdown, many are protesting the war in Iran and rising costs in the United States.

Freelancer Jack Kiyonaga contributed to this article.