FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 28, 2026
CONTACT: media@northwestvalleyindivisible.org
NO KINGS 3 DRAWS 9,500 ACROSS ARIZONA’S 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AS OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED ICE DETENTION FACILITY FUELS RECORD TURNOUT IN SURPRISE
Agitators throw chemical vials into crowd; no injuries reported
SURPRISE, AZ — Joining more than 3,000 protest sites across the country in a national day of civic action, No Kings 3 (NK3) came to Arizona’s 8th Congressional District today through the work of a local coalition — Northwest Valley Indivisible (NWVI), Stand Up Together, Anthem Indivisible, Big Blue Bubble, and Desert Progressives Indivisible — spanning nine sites across the district. An estimated 9,500 participants turned out district-wide — more than 1,000 above No Kings 2 last October and the largest showing in the series to date.
Nowhere was that growth more pronounced than in Surprise, where turnout surged from approximately 2,100 participants at No Kings 2 to more than 3,200 today — a 52% increase organizers attribute directly to community outrage over a proposed 418,000-square-foot ICE detention facility at 13290 W. Sweetwater Avenue.
“What we saw today in Surprise tells you everything you need to know,” said Brent Peak, Co-Chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible. “When the federal government tries to open a mass detention facility in your community without so much as a public hearing, people show up. Over 3,200 neighbors came out today because they refuse to let this human warehouse open without a fight. Mayor Sartor and the City Council have an opportunity to stand with their constituents on this — we hope they will.”
The day was overwhelmingly peaceful across all nine sites. Organizers expressed gratitude to law enforcement in Surprise, Glendale, Peoria, and Phoenix for coordinating with organizers in advance and responding promptly to several minor medical situations throughout the day.
At the North Phoenix site on Happy Valley Road, where approximately 1,300 participants gathered, two glass vials containing ammonium sulfide were deliberately thrown into the crowd from a vehicle driving by. The vials did not break and caused no injuries or exposure. Organizers are continuing to follow up with law enforcement regarding the incident. A small number of agitators were present at multiple sites but did not disrupt the day’s activities.
What’s Next: April 7 Surprise City Council Meeting
The coalition is calling on residents to keep the pressure on. The Surprise City Council will meet on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 PM, and organizers are urging community members — particularly Surprise residents — to attend and sign up to speak on the proposed GardaWorld ICE detention facility.
“Nine thousand five hundred people showed up today,” Peak added. “On April 7, we need them to show up at City Hall. We are just getting started.”
Information on the April 7 meeting and how to sign up for public comment is available at https://www.mobilize.us/northwestvalleyindivisible/event/929908/.
About the No Kings CD-8 Coalition No Kings 3 in the northwest valley was organized by a coalition of grassroots groups serving Arizona’s 8th Congressional District: Northwest Valley Indivisible, Stand Up Together, Anthem Indivisible, Big Blue Bubble, and Desert Progressives Indivisible. These organizations are committed to nonviolent civic participation, government accountability, and the protection of democratic norms.