Protesters Rally Across US for Anti-Trump 'No Kings' Demonstrations

Massive crowds flooded streets across all 50 US states on Saturday to denounce President Donald Trump’s hardline policies at nationwide “No Kings” rallies, which Republicans mocked as “Hate America” demonstrations.

Organizers anticipated millions to join the protests stretching from New York to Los Angeles, with gatherings also held in smaller cities and near Trump’s Florida residence.

“This is what democracy looks like!” chanted thousands in Washington near the US Capitol, where the federal government remained shut down for a third consecutive week amid a legislative impasse. “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!” shouted protesters, many waving American flags—one notably flown upside down as a signal of distress.

Demonstrators carried signs urging the defense of democracy and calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, central to Trump’s immigration crackdown. Protesters accused the Republican leader of authoritarian tactics, including attacks on the media, political rivals, and undocumented immigrants.

“I never thought I’d live to see my country’s democracy die,” said 69-year-old retiree Colleen Hoffman, marching down Broadway in New York. “The cruelty, the authoritarianism—I just can’t stay home and do nothing.”

In Los Angeles, protesters drew attention with a giant balloon depicting Trump in a diaper.

Trump’s initial response was muted, though his communications team posted an AI-generated video on X showing him in royal attire and a crown, waving from a balcony. “They’re calling me a king. I’m not a king,” Trump told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

His allies, however, were combative. House Speaker Mike Johnson derided the protests as a “Hate America rally,” claiming they united “Marxists, Socialists, Antifa advocates, anarchists, and the pro-Hamas wing of the far-left Democrat Party.”

Protesters dismissed such remarks with laughter. “Look around! If this is hate, someone needs to go back to school,” said Paolo, 63, amid the chanting crowd in Washington.

Others highlighted America’s deepening divisions. “Right-wingers hate us—and I don’t care,” said Tony, a 34-year-old software engineer.

The “No Kings” movement also inspired solidarity events in Canada, Spain, and Sweden. Deirdre Schifeling of the American Civil Liberties Union said demonstrators wanted to reaffirm that “we are a country of equals—of laws, due process, and democracy. We will not be silenced.”

Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the Indivisible Project, criticized Trump’s move to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis, calling it “the classic authoritarian playbook—threaten, smear, and scare people into submission.”

Paolo, recalling his upbringing under Brazil’s military dictatorship, said, “It feels like déjà vu—the cult of personality, the use of law enforcement—it’s all too familiar.”

Addressing protesters outside the Capitol, Senator Bernie Sanders warned that democracy itself was under threat. “We have a president who wants more and more power in his own hands and those of his fellow oligarchs,” he said, drawing loud boos at the mention of “oligarchs.”

Sixteen-year-old Isaac Harder voiced fears for his generation’s future: “They’re destroying democracy—cracking down on protests, sending troops to cities, arresting opponents, deporting people without due process. It’s a fascist trajectory, and I’ll do whatever I can to stop it.”