On Saturday, thousands of Americans took to the streets across the country for “No Kings” protests, pushing back against what they call President Donald Trump’s growing power grab.
This is the third major wave of protests since Trump returned to the White House. It comes during a long government shutdown that has frozen public services and sparked anger over what many see as an attack on the nation’s democratic checks and balances.
Trump wasn’t in Washington to see it. He was at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, far from the chants outside the White House.
“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview on Friday before heading to a $1 million-a-plate fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC.
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That quote didn’t stop the signs reading “No Kings” from popping up in nearly every major U.S. city. Organizers say more than 2,600 rallies were planned nationwide, from Los Angeles and Chicago to small towns that rarely make the evening news.
Republicans called the protests “hate America” rallies. But organizers insist it’s the opposite.
“This is about saving America, not hating it,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the key organizing groups. “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power.”
Levin said the movement has grown beyond anything he’s seen before. “We’re building something bigger than protest,” he said. “This is a wall of democracy.”
Top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders, joined the protests, calling them a show of unity against what they describe as Trump’s abuse of power.
In Washington, protesters gathered around the Lincoln Memorial, waving flags and carrying handmade signs. Some read “No Kings,” “No Fascism,” and “Trump Stop Humping Putin’s Leg Like a Dog!” — a phrase that drew plenty of camera flashes.
Scenes from today’s pre-No Kings Day Rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/8LSeMeXZxJ
— Melissa Y. Kim (@melissaykim) October 17, 2025
Retired doctor Terence McCormally, who joined the protest near Arlington National Cemetery, said he worries about the direction of the country.
“I really don’t like the crooks and con men and religious zealots who are trying to use the country for personal gain,” McCormally said. “They’re killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”
He said he hoped the protest would stay peaceful but admitted he’s more wary of the police now that the National Guard has been deployed.
Across the Atlantic, the protests stretched into Europe. In Madrid, hundreds of American expats gathered under “No Kings” banners. One group even carried a sign that read, “No Kings — except Bad Bunny.”
In Helsinki, one protester said, “Many of my European friends simply will not visit the United States right now because they’re concerned about what might happen if they visit.” Similar scenes unfolded in Paris, Berlin, Lisbon, and Rome.
Featured image via X screengrab
