Crowd At No Kings Rallies Likely Outpaced Previous Events Costumes

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 30, 2025, 1:36 PM

crowd at no kings rallies likely outpaced previous events costumes

John Simon of Cape Coral was out early at U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway Saturday before the official start of No Kings protests. He was giving out free signs and flags "of all the disadvantaged countries." "I responded to some of the comment sections on the Indivisible, the 50501 (50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement). I said, I protest 'cause I'm alive. All you need to see what's going on with the government.

If you're alive, you should be out here protesting what the government is doing." This is the third No Kings rally he has attended. Originally from Wisconsin, he has lived in the Cape for 35 years. In Fort Myers the crowds started off strong and continued to grow beyond the boundaries of previous No Kings events here. Rally participants lined the east side of U.S. 41 from close to the Sutherlin auto dealership north past Daniels Parkway and up past Bell Tower Shops, down Daniels about a quarter mile on both sides and west down Cypress Lake and then...

Units from the Lee County Sheriff's Office were in regular patrol in and around the Fort Myers crowd, which was peaceful but very vocal. Millions of people turned out nationwide on Oct. 18 to protest actions by the Trump administration and celebrate their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. The crowds at an estimated 2,700 rallies across the country included older Americans who protested Vietnam or never protested anything before, veterans who said they didn’t fight for a country led by a dictator,... Many said they were upset by the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants and other vulnerable populations. If crowd estimates hold, the one-day “No Kings” event was the largest civil action in the United States since the first Earth Day, 55 years ago.

No major incidents or arrests were reported during the day. Republican leaders spoke out ahead of the Saturday protests, blaming them for the current government shutdown and labeling them “hate America” rallies. In Cathedral City, California, protesters waved handmade signs and one carried a Trump-lookalike mannequin. In Fort Collins, Colorado, one man brought his horse to the protest. Several protesters in Fort Myers, Florida, were seen wearing inflatable costumes, as they lined the side of a highway. Demonstrators showed up in droves to protests across the country — and sported their best First Amendment styles

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We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Millions gathered for nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trump administration’s “authoritarianism” — and they came equipped with clever signs and eye-catching costumes. Updated on: October 19, 2025 / 10:26 PM EDT / CBS/AFP Crowds hit the streets Saturday in cities and towns across the country to vent their anger over President Trump's policies in "No Kings" protests, which Republicans have slammed as "Hate America" rallies. People carrying signs with slogans such as "Nothing is more patriotic than protesting" or "Resist Fascism" packed into New York City's Times Square and rallied by the thousands in parks in Boston, Atlanta and... Demonstrators marched through Washington and downtown Los Angeles and picketed outside capitols in several Republican-led states, a courthouse in Billings, Montana, and at hundreds of smaller public spaces.

Mr. Trump's Republican Party disparaged the demonstrations as "Hate America" rallies, but in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, huge banners with the U.S. Constitution's "We The People" preamble that people could sign, and demonstrators wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon. More than 2,700 demonstrations were planned coast to coast, with at least one in every state and even near Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he is spending the weekend.

"No Kings" rally Mobile, Ala., Oct. 18, 2025 Thirteen days before Halloween, downtown Mobile swarmed with inflatable unicorns, Martians, pandas, zombies and even the Cookie Monster. Behind these festive costumes, however, was a serious message. The large crowd gathered Saturday afternoon for Mobile’s latest “No Kings” protest was part of a nationwide movement opposing the administration of President Donald Trump. “I’m a baby because we have a billionaire baby in the White House,” said Christian Hawkins, 44, of Mobile, who came dressed in a giant inflatable baby suit.

Other costumes nodded to protests in Portland, Oregon, where demonstrators were filmed in full-body inflatables while federal agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), patrolled city streets. Salt Lake City's No Kings rally was many things at once. A protest. A dance party. A zoo of inflatable animal costumes.

A call to action. But mostly, it was about community. The crowd of thousands at the Utah State Capitol on Oct. 18 filled the front lawn, holding signs and waving American flags, some of them upside down in a sign of distress. Beyond Salt Lake City, at least half a dozen other “No Kings” protests took place across the state the same day with thousands more nationwide. The protests come during a government shutdown with no end in sight.

At the same time, the Trump administration has deployed the National Guard to several Democratic-run cities. In Salt Lake, organizers deliberately chose to focus on peace and joy. Four months ago, just down the road, a different group hosted a No Kings evening march that ended on State Street with a deadly shooting. A self-described “peacekeeper” safety volunteer for the organizers, the local 50501 chapter, saw a man open carrying a rifle. Believing 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa to be a threat, the unnamed volunteer fired three shots into the crowd — hitting Gamboa and killing bystander Afa Ah Loo. No charges have been filed yet and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office says they’re still investigating.

Millions of people turned out nationwide on Oct. 18 to protest actions by the Trump administration and celebrate their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. The crowds at an estimated 2,700 rallies across the country included older Americans who protested Vietnam or never protested anything before, veterans who said they didn’t fight for a country led by a dictator,... Many said they were upset by the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants and other vulnerable populations. If crowd estimates hold, the one-day “No Kings” event was the largest civil action in the United States since the first Earth Day, 55 years ago. No major incidents or arrests were reported during the day.

Republican leaders spoke out ahead of the Saturday protests, blaming them for the current government shutdown and labeling them “hate America” rallies. In Cathedral City, California, protesters waved handmade signs and one carried a Trump-lookalike mannequin. In Fort Collins, Colorado, one man brought his horse to the protest. Several protesters in Fort Myers, Florida, were seen wearing inflatable costumes, as they lined the side of a highway.

Crowd At No Kings Rallies Likely Outpaced Previous Events Costumes

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