On Saturday, thousands of Americans are set to march in protest of President Donald Trump’s administration across numerous locations in the country. The demonstrations, collectively known as the “No Kings” protests, will coincide with a military parade in Washington, DC, celebrating the US Army’s 250th anniversary and marking Trump’s 79th birthday.
The protests come in the wake of recent demonstrations against immigration arrests occurring in various US cities. Participants of the No Kings protests have voiced their opposition to Trump’s policies, citing a range of grievances. According to the organizers’ website, the administration has “defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services.”
Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has faced backlash for sending immigrants to foreign prisons, establishing immigration arrest quotas, and clashing with judicial authorities. The organizers explicitly denounce government job reductions and proposed cuts to social services as well, and they label the protests as a “national day of defiance.”
The term “No Kings” reflects a broader resistance against autocratic rule, with organizers urging that “The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings” on their website.
The protests are slated to take place in more than 2,000 cities and towns across all 50 US states, as well as in Mexico, Australia, Malawi, and several European countries. The organizer’s map indicates planned gatherings at various venues, including parks, community centers, and public landmarks. Major rallies are expected in cities such as Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and New York.
Interestingly, Washington, DC, will not host any protests, as the organizers intentionally omitted the capital from their mapping efforts. They stated their reasoning on the website: “Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”
The No Kings protests are organized by a social media movement called 50501, symbolizing “50 states, 50 protests, one movement.”
Timing for the protests will vary by location, with details available on the organizers’ map. In Norman, Oklahoma, for instance, protests are scheduled to start as early as 9 AM (14:00 GMT). Conversely, in Big Sur, California, protests are set to commence later in the day at 4:30 PM (23:30 GMT).
The military parade in Washington, DC, is scheduled to commence around 6:30 PM (22:30 GMT). This event will feature tanks rolling through the streets, marking the first military parade in the US since 1991, which celebrated the end of the Gulf War under President George HW Bush.
An estimated several thousand soldiers, alongside hundreds of military aircraft and vehicles, are slated to participate in the parade, with costs projected to range between $25 million and $45 million.
The No Kings website emphasizes that their protests are designed to be peaceful, explicitly stating, “Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.” However, these protests come after several days of unrest incited by military-style Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, particularly in Los Angeles, resulting in numerous arrests and detentions.
While protests in major cities have, for the most part, been peaceful, reports indicate that some demonstrations experienced clashes leading to injuries and additional arrests. National Guard troops have been deployed in various cities, and President Trump has even sent Marines to Los Angeles.
As the No Kings protests approach, certain Republican leaders have threatened demonstrators with legal repercussions should the protests escalate to violence. Some Republicans have mobilized National Guard forces in advance of the protests, attracting significant criticism. Legal experts, such as Gregory Magarian from Washington University, voiced concerns: “Protests are tumultuous, and military forces are trained to kill.”
When asked for his perspective on the upcoming protests, President Trump expressed during a White House briefing on Thursday: “I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.” His allies and Republican lawmakers were quick to respond with laughter to his statement. Trump added, “We’re not a king at all, thank you very much.”
Interestingly, Trump has previously employed similar terminology, posting on his Truth Social platform in February, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”
This statement was made in the context of congestion pricing—fees imposed on drivers entering busy city areas, which is intended to alleviate traffic congestion and promote public transport usage. Trump’s comments followed an announcement from his transportation secretary indicating the end of a federal agreement with New York regarding congestion charges in Manhattan.
The White House later circulated a digitally altered image of Trump wearing a crown, featured on a faux Time magazine cover, further blurring the lines regarding his perception of authority.
In response to the burgeoning protests, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he has deployed more than 5,000 National Guard troops and an additional 2,000 state police officers in an effort to manage the anti-ICE demonstrations in the state bordering Mexico. Governor Abbott has also dispatched National Guard soldiers to San Antonio amid protests focused on immigration enforcement.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also weighed in during a recent news conference, emphasizing that should any protestors resort to violence against law enforcement, they could expect the legal system to respond harshly. “The minute you cross into attacking law enforcement, any type of rioting, any type of vandalism, looting, just be prepared to have the law come down on you,” he warned.
Additionally, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a video on social media, cautioning “extremist left-leaning groups” against inciting disruptions within the state. Wilson declared: “If you attack our officers, destroy property, or threaten innocent lives in South Carolina – you will be arrested, charged, and prosecuted. No excuses. No second chances.”
As for the broader picture, anti-ICE protests continue to persist in Los Angeles and beyond. Civil rights attorney Robert Patillo indicated that future demonstrations were likely in over 30 cities, which would be met with an increase in law enforcement presence, including more riot gear and barricades. “Communities across the country see themselves in the images coming out of LA: the same painful encounters with police, the same racial disparities, the same struggle to make ends meet in a system that feels stacked against them,” Patillo explained.
He emphasized that the unrest in Los Angeles is not an isolated issue but rather part of a “deeper, shared experience of injustice that stretches from coast to coast.”
Thus, as the No Kings protests loom, the fabric of American civic life continually wrestles with profound questions surrounding authority, justice, and the evolution of civil rights under the current administration.
image source from：https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/14/what-are-the-anti-trump-no-kings-protests-planned-across-the-us
