10-18-2025 2:04pm

"No Kings" Rallies Nationwide

S RENEE GREENE Editor

Large American Cities Capture the True Spirit of "No Kings" Rally. Credit to: New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/us/protests-trump-no-kings.html]

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, millions of demonstrators across all 50 states and several European capitals gathered for the second wave of “No Kings” protests, denouncing what organizers call authoritarian overreach by President Donald Trump and his administration.

The protests were organized by a coalition including the ACLU, Indivisible, and 50501.

Protesters cited militarized immigration raids, suppression of free speech, and erosion of democratic norms as key grievances.

The slogan “No Kings” reflects opposition to Trump’s perceived monarchical behavior: “The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings,” read the movement’s website.

Over 2,600 events were planned nationwide, with major turnouts in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and Raleigh, NC.

Demonstrations also occurred outside U.S. embassies in London, Berlin, Madrid, Stockholm, and Rome.

There were no incoming reports from local journalists in Columbus, Georgia.

Republicans labeled the protests “hate America” rallies and accused Democrats of prolonging the government shutdown to appease their base.

Donald Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago, denied authoritarian intentions: “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” he told Fox News.

Organizers nationwide predicted this would be the largest one-day protest in modern American history with protestors carrying signs like “Make America sane again” and “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting.

Democratic leaders and Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer were scheduled to speak in D.C.

Thousands of volunteers underwent de-escalation training to ensure peaceful demonstrations. Law enforcement monitored social media and coordinated with local organizers amid concerns about counter-protests.

Union members nationwide were present and accounted for.

Tim Clay, a retired teacher who claimed to be a "Native New Yorker", stated "We didn’t fight Jim Crow just to get King Donald the First. I didn’t teach the Bill of Rights for 40 years so y’all could trade it for a red hat and a hashtag.”

###