On Saturday, thousands convened throughout the United States as widespread demonstrations commenced, aimed at what organizers perceive as an escalation under President Donald Trump.
Over 2,600 events are scheduled to take place across cities and towns in all 50 states, representing what is believed to be the most extensive mobilization against the Trump Administration to date.
By early Saturday, demonstrators started assembling for protests initiated in East Coast urban centers such as Washington, D.C., Miami, Florida, and Lexington, Massachusetts. Protests also commenced in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
These demonstrations arise in opposition to an unparalleled exercise of presidential authority by Trump during his second term. Since January, Trump has dispatched National Guard units to Democratically-governed cities to suppress protests, initiated a suppression campaign against left-wing and liberal organizations, and enacted an extensive mass deportation policy where masked federal agents have apprehended individuals on streets without proper legal procedure.
The inaugural ‘No Kings’ event in June, which drew an estimated five million participants, proceeded mostly peacefully, despite some isolated conflicts between law enforcement and protesters occurring in various cities.
Prior to the protest, organizers had expressed concerns that Trump and his associates might exploit these demonstrations as a justification for implementing additional measures to suppress opposition.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott sanctioned National Guard deployments in Austin, attributing the decision to what he termed potential threats from “antifa-associated” demonstrators. Local Democrats charged him with utilizing the Guard to discourage protesters.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, MoveOn, and the American Federation of Teachers state they are undertaking additional preventative measures, prioritizing de-escalation and collective safety, and circulating advice on how to react calmly if confronted by aggression from police or opposing demonstrators.
“They could attempt to portray this weekend’s occurrences as perilous,” commented Diedre Schlifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer. “Yet, the truth is that arranging and participating in peaceful demonstrations is neither illegal nor hazardous. It represents the most patriotic and American act conceivable.”
These protests have garnered support from Democrats spanning the entire ideological range. Both former presidential contenders Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton have offered their endorsement, alongside progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Senator Bernie Sanders.
“In our nation, authority rests with the populace, and I urge everyone tomorrow to engage in peaceful protest against current events in our country and articulate our perspectives on the nation we envision,” Harris, who was defeated by Trump in the 2024 presidential election, declared in a social media video.
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who has faced Trump’s apparent retaliatory campaign against political adversaries since assuming office, also chimed in with remarks commending protest participants for advocating not “merely for themselves, but for their fellow citizens, and for a principle.”
Trump has offered minimal commentary regarding the demonstrations, though he did make a brief statement on Friday prior to heading to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
“They claim they are calling me a king. I am not a king,” Trump conveyed to Fox News.
The president reached his golf club in West Palm Beach on Saturday morning, several hours before the protests began.
Prominent figures within Trump’s Republican Party have denounced the demonstrations. House Speaker Mike Johnson labeled the protests against the Trump Administration a “Hate America rally,” asserting it would attract the Democratic Party’s “pro-Hamas faction” and “antifa individuals.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized anticipated attendees as “the most extreme left, the most committed, the most erratic members of the Democratic Party.” Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall implied that the National Guard might be required to intervene.
During a Thursday press conference, organizers alleged that Republicans were endeavoring to dissuade individuals from participating. “They are now attempting to malign millions of Americans who are protesting so that they can legitimize and suppress peaceful opposition,” stated Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the organizing entities. “This aligns with the archetypal authoritarian strategy—threaten, defame, and deceive—but we will not be deterred.”
Protesters have also convened in European cities for their own iterations of No Kings Protests, encompassing Paris, Berlin, Sweden, and Madrid. accounts for the Amsterdam protest, featuring posters that condemn the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement: “I prefer my Democracy unadulterated. Abstain from ICE,” one photographed poster declared.
This narrative is continually unfolding.
— Further reporting contributed by Nik Popli