No Kings Mass Protest Freedom Over Fascism

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 30, 2025, 5:07 PM

no kings mass protest freedom over fascism

The June 2025 No Kings protests, also known internationally as the No Dictators or No Tyrants protests, is a series of political demonstrations, largely in the United States, against what the organizers describe as... Army 250th Anniversary Parade and Trump's 79th birthday. Further No Kings protests took place on October 18, 2025.[6] Organizers estimated that more than five million people participated in more than 2,100 cities and towns, including the flagship event in Philadelphia.[7][8][9] More protests took place in the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands, and in 20 foreign countries, including Canada, Japan, Mexico, and in Europe. In countries with constitutional monarchies such as Canada and the United Kingdom, the alternate "Dictators" or "Tyrants" titles were favored over "Kings" to avoid confusion with anti-monarchic movements; Hawaii did the same to avoid...

The No Kings protests were organized by Indivisible and other progressive organizations[12] as part of a coalition of more than 200 groups, including 50501, the Third Act Movement, American Federation of Teachers, Social Security... The time for assessing this administration is over – now is the moment to raise our voices and be heard. Not just to protest this parade, but to affirm something deeper: that power belongs to the people, that democracy is worth defending, that we still believe in a government of, by, and for the... Inspired by Dr. King's legacy, this mobilization reminds us of his vision of a just, inclusive, and equitable society. A dream toward which we have dedicated our lives' and urge everyone to stand together in the face of this latest challenge to our fragile democracy.[17]

The June 14 demonstrations built on previous nationwide "No Kings" protests, notably the nationwide "No Kings on Presidents' Day" event on February 17,[18][19] and others on April 19.[20] They also followed other protests of... Marine Corps.[1][5] Millions of people across the United States and around the world took to the streets on Saturday in the largest coordinated protest against dictatorship and fascism in decades. Under the slogan “No Kings,” demonstrators denounced Donald Trump’s authoritarian drive and the bipartisan assault on democratic rights, demanding an end to dictatorship, police repression, and state persecution of immigrants and workers. The scale, breadth, and character of Saturday’s protests exposed the fascistic lies and slanders promoted for weeks by Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, White House aide Stephen Miller, and other Republican Party operatives, who... Children, retirees, and parents made up a significant share of the crowds, while many younger workers were unable to attend because they were working on Saturday.

The composition and character of the protests bore no resemblance to the caricature promoted by the Trump administration and Republican media. Across the country, protesters carried handmade signs declaring “No Kings in America,” “Defend Democracy: It’s Time for a General Strike!”, “Abolish ICE Gestapo,” and “We Are Not Subjects.” The massive turnout showed that the... The protests reached an enormous scale in the country’s largest urban centers. In New York City, more than 100,000 people participated across all five boroughs. The New York Police Department, which deployed large numbers of officers and erected barriers around key intersections, acknowledged that there were zero protest-related arrests, a direct refutation of Trump’s claims of “riots” and “terrorist... Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

The “No Kings” protests were organized to protest the second presidency of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump, focusing on his allegedly fascist policies and statements about being a king. They were among the largest protests in U.S. history. Five million demonstrators attended the first “No Kings” rallies on June 14, 2025, and almost seven million attended the second round of rallies on October 18, 2025.

Americans are protesting against Pres. Donald Trump because of his administration’s crackdowns on immigration, his allegedly antidemocratic policies, and his prior statements about being a king. In the time between the first and second rounds of protest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids intensified, leading more protesters to take to the streets. The protests were largely organized by such liberal organizations as MoveOn, the 50501 Movement, and Indivisible. The term “No Kings” was coined by 50501 Movement.

Nonpartisan groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also helped facilitate protests. The first round of protests in June took place across about 2,100 sites nationwide, with major cities such as Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia seeing large-scale demonstrations. The October 2025 protests saw about 2,700 locations across the U.S. Sizable protests also occurred in smaller cities and suburban locales. The Trump administration has made it clear that it fears mass, nonviolent protests more than anything else. Last Friday, new talking points were seemingly rolled out across the MAGA sphere.

Top GOP leadership, from House Speaker Mike Johnson to Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, began seeding a narrative about today’s “No Kings” protests. Rather than describing them for what they are — First Amendment-protected rallies where millions of Americans are expected to peacefully stand against the Trump administration’s unconstitutional, authoritarian, and un-American agenda — Republican leadership is... Party leaders also called the gatherings “terrorist” and “Soros-funded” events that would be filled to the brim with “the antifa crowd, the pro-Hamas crowd, and the Marxists.” This trial-balloon messaging is meant to get ahead of what organizers say could be one of the largest days of mass protest in U.S. history, with events planned in every state.

Millions of Americans are projected to attend some 2,500 rallies to oppose the illegality and immorality of the Trump agenda, the destruction of hard-won civil and constitutional rights, and the fascist ambitions of the... Republican leaders are attempting to preemptively cast this protest within the framework Stephen Miller has been working to aggressively mainstream since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, where all who oppose the extremist MAGA agenda... To their credit, Democratic and Independent leaders responded quickly. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a statement pointing out that the No Kings protests are protected under the First Amendment and, contrary to right-wing smears, protesters are standing up for American values. Former Republican and now Independent Joe Walsh called out the GOP’s attempt to vilify half of the American electorate as “shameful” in a post on Twitter and urged his followers to attend the protests,...

Crowds gather to listen to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a No Kings protest, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Washington. Allison Robbert/AP hide caption One of the biggest days of protest against the Trump administration's policies happened on Saturday in cities around the U.S. The overriding theme of the marches was the accusation that President Trump is behaving more like a monarch than an elected official.

It marked the second massive wave of protests organized by No Kings — a network of progressive organizations fighting against Trump's agenda. Organizers said about 2,600 No Kings events were planned across nearly every state, and that it projected a bigger turnout than the 5 million it said attended its previous nationwide action in June. This aerial picture shows protesters forming a human banner during the "No Kings" national day of protest on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Calif. on Oct. 18, 2025. Laure Andrillon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

On October 18, more than 7 million of us rose up at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states, DC, and cities worldwide to say: America has no kings, and the power belongs... Now, our task is to stay vigilant, stay united, and continue to push back. In June, millions of everyday Americans from every walk of life peacefully took to the streets and declared with one voice: No Kings. The world saw the power of the people, and President Trump’s attempt at a coronation collapsed under the strength of a movement rising against his abuses of power. Now, he’s doubling down — sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle. This isn’t just politics.

It’s democracy versus dictatorship. And together, we’re choosing democracy. This story has been updated to include new estimates of protest crowd size. Demonstrators filled the streets of U.S. cities and towns in coordinated "No Kings" events, billed as a "national day of peaceful protest," in the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump's policies since he returned to power in January. The mostly calm marches, organized under the theme that no individual is above the law, coincided with the day President Donald Trump hosted a military parade on the streets of the nation's capital.

At least one demonstration, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia, was met with violence when a man intentionally drove an SUV through a crowd of departing protesters, striking at least one... Police in Los Angeles hit protesters with batons, fired tear gas and ordered a large crowd in downtown to disperse; authorities said they were responding to people throwing "rocks, bricks, bottles," and "fireworks" at... Activists in some areas braved wet weather to raise signs and chant slogans. supporting the rights of immigrants and criticizing what they view as a power grab by the Trump administration. As Donald Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the No Kings movement is rising stronger than ever. Across America, millions are uniting to remind the world that this nation has no thrones, no crowns, and no kings.

From sending masked agents into our streets to silencing voters and enriching billionaires while families struggle, Trump’s regime and his accomplices have shown contempt for democracy and the people it’s meant to serve. On October 18, communities nationwide will rise to make clear: America belongs to us — not to tyrants, not to the wealthy few, not to would-be dictators. America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. No Kings is a peaceful movement of millions of Americans from all walks of life rising up to make it clear: we don’t do dictators or kings in America — and we never will. We’re organizing to defend our communities, demand dignity, and reject Trump’s abuses of power. Millions took to the streets in June, and we’re doing it again on Saturday, October 18.

Every time the Trump administration chips away at our freedoms, the No Kings movement grows stronger — living proof that the people will not back down. America belongs to us — not rulers, not billionaires — and we will defend it. We reject authoritarian rule. We reject dictatorship. We are here to stay, to grow, and to rise. Click here to see the list and find your city.

Stay tuned-we will be sharing virtual event information when it becomes available.

No Kings Mass Protest Freedom Over Fascism

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