University of Kwazulu-Natal

No Kings Protests Us City Demonstrations Explained

Bonisiwe Shabane
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no kings protests us city demonstrations explained

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] 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. 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. Tensions were escalating on the streets of downtown Los Angeles as police sought to disperse demonstrators after an anti-Trump “No Kings” demonstration. (AP video by Mark Vancleave and Eugene Garcia) People take part in the “No Kings Day” protest on Presidents Day in Washington, in support of federal workers and against recent actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Monday, Feb.

17, 2025, by the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana,File) A federal employee, who asked not to use their name for fears over losing their job, protests with a sign saying “Federal Employees Don’t Work for Kings” during the “No Kings Day” protest on... 17, 2025, near the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) ▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s administration are set to rally in hundreds of cities on Saturday during the military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincides with Trump’s birthday. Huge crowds took part in "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump's policies in cities across the US on Saturday, including New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. Thousands packed New York City's iconic Times Square and streets all around, with people holding signs with slogans like "Democracy not Monarchy" and "The Constitution is not optional". Ahead of the demonstrations, Trump allies accused the protesters of being linked with the far-left Antifa movement, and condemned what they called "the hate America rally". Several US states had mobilised the National Guard. But organisers said the events, which drew nearly seven million people, were peaceful.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has expanded the scope of presidential power, using executive orders to dismantle parts of the federal government and to deploy National Guard troops to US... Protesters rally near City Hall during an anti-Trump "No Kings Day" demonstration on June 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. On June 16, I joined millions of Americans in cities across the country for a massive civil society event: the “No Kings” protest. Held in response to Donald Trump’s ill-advised military parade in Washington, D.C., the protest spanned hundreds of cities and towns. The scenes from the capital were telling—a thin crowd, damp spectacle, and echoes of past authoritarian pageantry. But the story outside the Beltway was different.

What I witnessed—and what countless others experienced—was a grassroots assertion of civic voice and democratic presence. Though resistance to Trump has taken many forms, the June 14 demonstration was a calm, grassroots protest against his autocratic display. Yet in that collective refusal, something constructive stirred—civil society in motion. In this final piece of the series, I argue that if civil society’s collapse helped pave the way for Trumpism, then its revival is our best hope for renewal. But rebuilding won’t be easy. And it won’t look like the past.

We need a civic infrastructure that works in an era of digital saturation, economic anxiety, and cultural division. That means reimagining how we inform, gather, educate, and organize—not just react. Before we can rebuild our civic muscle, we must first take honest stock of what’s been lost. Over the past two decades, America’s civic infrastructure has eroded—not with a bang but with a quiet, steady unraveling. Churches have emptied, union halls have shuttered, local newspapers have disappeared, and neighborhood associations have faded. The public square didn’t vanish overnight; it was slowly neglected, hollowed out, and in many places, deliberately dismantled.

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The June 2025 No Kings Protests, Also Known Internationally As

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 particip...

The No Kings Protests Were Organized By Indivisible And Other

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 deepe...

The June 14 Demonstrations Built On Previous Nationwide "No Kings"

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] 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 ...

They Were Among The Largest Protests In U.S. History. Five

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...

Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) Raids Intensified, Leading More Protesters

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 protes...