From the jammed streets of New York City to the Midwestern town squares, Americans numbered in the millions poured into the streets Saturday for one of the biggest coordinated protests in recent American history — an across-the-board denunciation of President Donald Trump and what his critics say is his “authoritarian style” of ruling.
The protest, the “No Kings” protests, had more than 2,700 rallies in all 50 states, movement organizers reported. An estimated nearly 7 million took part nationwide — some two million more than the first “No Kings” protests this summer in June.
A Message of Defiance and Unity
Organizers also called the protests a historic act of civic solidarity, remarking that the marches were legal, peaceful, and people-powered.
“Today’s mobilization included more than 2,700 peaceful demonstrations across all 50 states and was 14 times larger than total attendance at both President Trump inaugurations,” organizers said in a release.
Throughout rural villages and large cities, Americans responded: this nation shall not be ruled by fear, force, or the whim of one man.”
The demonstrations come after the Trump administration continues to deploy National Guard troops and immigration agents in different cities like Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., a move critics claim is meant to intimidate protesters and consolidate federal power at the expense of municipal law enforcement.
Scenes Nationwide
In New York City, Times Square teemed with protesters, waving American flags, holding witty signs, and chanting “No Kings in America!” In New York alone, organizers estimated more than 300,000 people showed up.
Beth, a New Hampshire protester who brought her daughter and granddaughter with her, said that her family’s history compelled her to attend.
My dad was in World War II and got hurt in Belgium,” she told HuffPost. “He fought fascists, and so do I. That’s why I’m proud to be an antifa — anti-fascist.”
Ariel Fernandez, a history teacher at a high school, stood a few feet away and echoed the sentiment.
“Democracy is a verb,” he said. “It only works if you participate. That’s why I’m here.”.
Some protesters brought a sense of humor along with them — like one man dressed in an inflatable flying squirrel suit. “I was going to do a frog, but the frog costume was too expensive,” he joked.
Later during the day, the New York Police Department confirmed every protest of the day concluded without a single arrest for protest-related matters, and stated it as one of the largest peaceful marches in history.
Massive Turnout in Other Cities
Aerial footage in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles mirrored enormous crowds of people who had taken over city plazas and parks. Thousands attended speeches, food stalls, and live performances in Austin, Texas. Organizers estimated that between 20,000 to 30,000 were likely to attend.
Despite Governor Greg Abbott warning that “violence and destruction will never be tolerated,” the rally was peaceful, with families, soldiers, and university students uniting under the slogan “No Kings. Just Democracy.”.
In Washington, D.C., hundreds of protesters gathered on the National Mall, chanting “USA! USA!” in a gesture of patriotic defiance. Some of them carried signs referencing constitutional rights, global warming, reproductive rights, and government accountability.
Political Backlash Fuels the Movement
Republican leaders have criticized the demonstrations, framing them as extremist gatherings. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) earlier in the week labeled the events the work of what he called the “pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party.
“We call it the ‘hate America’ rally,” Johnson told reporters. “You’ll see antifa types, Marxists, and those who don’t believe in the foundational truths of this republic.”
But. Those comments appeared to backfire against her. Oficials reported that RSVPs doubled after Johnson’s comments, with new registrations flowing in the days leading up to the weekend.
“RTight. wing attacks only mobilized people,” said MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich, one of the leading liberal groups calling for the protests. “Americans don’t want to be silenced — they want to be heard.”
A Broad Coalition for Democracy
More than 200 organizations co-sponsored the “No Kings” marches, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Democracy Forward, League of Conservation Voters, and Enough of Gun Violence.
The coalition positioned the day as a “nonpartisan show of democratic strength,” with participants spanning generation, party, and culture.
A demonstrator in Washington walked around carrying a box labeled “Classified Epstein Files,” a reference to Trump’s refusal to release documents about the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a cause célèbre among activists demanding openness from government.
Simultaneously, in Los Angeles, police filed an emergency motion with the demonstrations to lift bans on using force against the media — a rare action interpreted widely as a bid to intimidate the press in advance.
Trump’s Response: Golf and Denial
While millions protested across the country, President Trump spent the day golfing in Florida, according to a White House pool report. “There were no demonstrations visible from the windows of the press van,” reporters noted.
In a recent Fox Business interview, Trump rejected claims of authoritarianism.
“They’re calling me a king — I’m not a king,” he said.
That evening, Trump is reported to have thrown a $1 million-a-plate party at his Mar-a-Lago compound, which provoked scorching complaints from activists accusing him of being out of touch with the woes of ordinary Americans.
A Nation Reawakens
To many, Saturday’s simultaneous demonstrations across the country were a broader movement — one not defined by party loyalties but by civic obligation.
It’s not something you’re born with, it’s something you fight for,” said activist Sophia Mirto, a leader of the Austin rally. “This’s not about Trump. It’s about standing up for the principle that no one — not even a president — is above the people.”
As “No Kings!” chants echoed around the country, one thing was certain: the movement is far from over.
