Organizers of the “No Kings” protests are projecting that millions of Americans will demonstrate against the policies of the Trump administration on Saturday, amid ongoing ICE arrests and the deployment of National Guard troops to several Democratic-run cities around the country.
“The purpose here is to stand in solidarity, to organize, to defend our democracy and protect each other and our communities, and just say enough is enough,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group that is one of the protest organizers.
“We’ve been watching the Trump administration’s abuses of power, and millions took to the streets in June,” she said.
Some Republicans have decried the protests as anti-American. House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “hate America rally.”
The “No Kings” protests are a nationwide movement in the U.S. opposing what organizers call authoritarianism, particularly under President Donald Trump. The name “No Kings” reflects a core message: in a democracy, no one should rule like a monarch. The protests began in 2025, notably on June 14 during a military parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s anniversary and Trump’s birthday.
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Organized by groups like the 50501 Movement, ACLU, and Indivisible, they aim to defend democratic institutions and civil rights. Key concerns include executive overreach, militarization of public events, suppression of dissent, and policies favoring the wealthy.
When asked about the planned protests and accusations that Trump was behaving like a monarch, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson replied, “Who cares?” She had no further comment.
The movement promotes peaceful, decentralized demonstrations across all 50 states with millions reportedly participating. Organizers stress nonviolence and broad public inclusion. Though largely peaceful, some protests have faced clashes with law enforcement and isolated incidents of violence. The movement continues into late 2025, with more protests scheduled amid growing political tensions.
Harvard sociologist and Assistant Professor of Public Policy Liz McKenna said that in the past, movements of this scale have succeeded in influencing social change, but that their efficacy has dropped significantly since the turn of the century.
“We are not even a year into the Trump administration, and so I think the strategy on the part of the organizers is to show that ‘we’re not backing down,'” McKenna said.
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But, she added: “We’ve seen more people take to the streets, not just in the United States but around the world, by the millions, and in many, if not most of those cases, the protests have not achieved their stated aims and in some cases actually even backfired.”
The “No Kings” protests are a widespread political movement that began in 2025, organized in response to what participants view as authoritarian threats to U.S. democracy. The name reflects opposition to any leader acting like a monarch—particularly aimed at President Trump.
The first major protests took place on June 14, during a military parade in Washington, D.C. Organizers like the 50501 Movement, ACLU, and Indivisible coordinated over 2,000 events nationwide. Demonstrators focused on defending civil liberties, democratic norms, and opposing executive overreach, militarization of politics, and policies that benefit the wealthy elite.
The protests are designed to be peaceful and inclusive, with an emphasis on nonviolence and legal expression. Despite this, some locations saw confrontations with law enforcement and isolated incidents of violence. As political tensions continue into late 2025, more “No Kings” protests are scheduled, including another nationwide event on Oct. 18, signaling the movement’s persistence.