University of Kwazulu-Natal

Hudson Valley Braces For No Kings Protests Against Trump

Bonisiwe Shabane
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hudson valley braces for no kings protests against trump

When protestors gather again on Saturday, October 18 in towns from Woodstock to Warwick, they’ll be carrying hand-painted signs that read No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. The slogan—part defiance, part plea—has become shorthand for a country sliding toward strongman rule. The No Kings movement began last June as a spontaneous eruption of outrage against Trump’s planned military parade in Washington. What was then framed as a symbolic protest has since hardened into something more urgent: a grassroots defense of constitutional democracy itself.

Since those first rallies, the administration has acted as if the spectacle never ended. Federal troops have been deployed to American cities under the pretext of “anti-crime operations,” conducting warrantless searches and detentions that local officials describe as unlawful. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched aggressive incursions into “non-cooperating” cities—including raids in the Hudson Valley—without local coordination or judicial oversight. Abroad, the pattern has extended to military action. In August, US Navy patrols in the Caribbean sank two unarmed Venezuelan fishing vessels accused of “narcotics activity,” killing 14 crew members. No public evidence has been produced, and no congressional inquiry has been allowed.

Each episode adds to a portrait of executive power exercised without accountability—what constitutional scholars once warned could become “emergency government as normal practice.” At home, new executive orders have granted federal agencies wide latitude to disregard congressional subpoenas and to coordinate with private militias for “border assistance.” Critics in both parties see these moves as a direct... "No Kings" protests are coming back to the mid-Hudson Valley on Oct. 18, and there are 14 happening in the area, according to the organization's website. The protests are a coordinated day of nonviolent action to target what organizers are calling the rise of political dynasties and anti-democratic power. The "No Kings" movement was launched by Indivisible, a nonprofit coalition of political action groups, working to stand up to authoritarianism.

In June, Newburgh residents gathered on Montgomery Street for a local "No Kings" protest as part of a nationwide demonstration. Participants carried signs and chanted slogans such as "New York is home, New York is safe, New York is not a fascist state." In the latest in a series of mass protests since President Donald Trump took office, "No Kings" rallies and marches will be held at more than 2,500 locations nationwide on Oct. 18, including in the mid-Hudson Valley. The protests are meant as a celebration of free speech, the right to assemble and the First Amendment broadly. It is also an opportunity to push back against recent moves by Trump's administration including increased immigration enforcement, organizers say.

“This, without question, will be the single biggest day of protest in American history," said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, which is helping organize the rallies. “Since we last did this, people have become far more aware of what is going wrong with this administration." Rallies, protests and marches will be held in big cities and small towns across the country. Protesters are being urged to wear yellow. Asked for reaction to the protests Oct. 14, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson replied “Who cares?”

Hudson Valley law enforcement is preparing for "No Kings" protests on Saturday (June 14), coinciding with President Trump's military parade in Washington D.C. and his birthday. The protests, organized by the "No Kings" group, aim to speak out against President Trump's policies, including military actions and cuts to federal funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. The "No Kings" group describes the protest as a nationwide day of defiance, rejecting what they see as authoritarianism. According to Yahoo News, protests will occur across the country, including several locations in the Hudson Valley such as Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Spring Valley, New Rochelle, Mount Kisco, and Beacon. In addition to the Hudson Valley, demonstrations are planned in other parts of New York.

Westchester News 12 reports that protests will take place in Croton-on-Hudson, Mount Kisco, Nanuet, Yonkers, Mamaroneck, and Larchmont. The main New York rally will be held at Bryant Park in Manhattan. The protests are expected to draw significant attention, with organizers encouraging participants to express their opposition to the administration's policies. As the day approaches, law enforcement agencies in the Hudson Valley are preparing to manage the expected crowds and ensure safety. Hundreds attend a "No Kings" rally in New Paltz, NY, on June 14, 2025.Ari Berman/Mother Jones Close to 400 people, many of them wearing plastic gold crowns, assembled in the Hudson Valley town of New Paltz, New York, on Saturday morning for one of the first “No Kings” rallies of...

It was a large turnout for the town of roughly 15,000, which is part of a key swing district represented by Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan. Trump’s shredding of the Constitution and his unprecedented deployment of the National Guard and Marines in response to the protests in Los Angeles were key themes of the rally. “We are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution next year,” said Jen Metzger, the county executive of Ulster County, which includes New Paltz. “That was a war against tyranny. We are fighting a war against tyranny again.”

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