Law enforcement and Metro Transit prepare for St. Paul No Kings rally, expected to draw 100,000

Organizers expect more than 100,000 people to flood St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday for the No Kings rally.

It's an all-hands-on deck situation for law enforcement and public transit officials, with crews out Friday preparing barricades for the protest.

Given the sheer number of people expected in downtown St. Paul, Metro Transit is bringing everyone they can for the weekend shift.

Spokesperson Drew Kerr says the maximum number of train cars will be operating on the light rail system. They'll also have extra buses ready to go as time allows.

The Metro Transit Police Department also has a role to play, with extra officers coming in to monitor stations and surrounding areas in downtown. Kerr says they feel ready, but ask people to plan their trips ahead of time and purchase tickets on their app.

"We've done this before, we'll be able to do it again," Kerr said. "There's a lot of planning and preparation. Every event is a little different than the last, but we have a lot of experience in this area and are ready to do what we need to do on Saturday."

For perspective, Metro Transit is well oiled for handling events like the average Minnesota Vikings home game at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, which typically brings in around 80,000 people.

On the law enforcement side, a spokesperson for the St. Paul Police Department says around 300 officers from across different agencies will be on hand Saturday around the State Capitol complex.

St. Paul police are planning to shut down several streets around downtown and the Capitol throughout Saturday. Officers are anticipating the potential of 150,000 demonstrators, which would surpass the numbers achieved by the Women's March in 2017.