Views From the "No Kings" Protests

"The latest protests come at "a time when Trump and his accommodationists have attacked freedom of speech and freedom of the press; when they have sent masked men and armed troops into American cities; when they have threatened to jail political Democratic governors, mayors, and attorneys general; and when scholars of totalitarianism warn that American democracy is in peril," wrote John Nichols, the executive editor of The Nation, ahead of the demonstrations."

"The protests were not limited to big cities or blue states, however, where an anti-Trump message might be expected, but stretched to over 2,700 locations around the country. "Across cities and towns, large and small, rural and suburban, in red areas and in blue areas millions of us are peacefully coming together for No Kings to send a clear and unmistakable message," said MoveOn executive director Katie Bethell. "The power belongs to the people.""

"On the sidewalk at the edge of the Indianapolis Statehouse lawn, a steady river of "No Kings" protesters marched the perimeter, shouting slogans and chants to a flood of honks and shouts from passing cars. Demonstrator Spencer King stood on a curb in a giant blow-up rat costume, their friend Becca Lennon similarly dressed as a unicorn. They're both medical service providers for the disabled community, attending the protest because they've seen Medicaid cuts block their clients from accessing vital support."

On October 18 more than seven million people across over 2,700 locations joined "No Kings" protests opposing perceived authoritarianism in the second Trump administration. Protesters cited attacks on freedom of speech and the press, deployment of masked men and armed troops into American cities, threats to jail Democratic officials, and scholarly warnings that American democracy is in peril. Demonstrations occurred in urban, suburban, and rural communities nationwide, with organizers emphasizing that power belongs to the people. Local reports described marches at state capitols, festive costumes, and participants highlighting policy impacts such as Medicaid cuts that block disabled clients from vital support.

Read at The Nation