Organizers said about 2,600 No Kings events were planned across nearly every state, and that it projected a bigger turnout than the 5 million it said attended its previous nationwide action in June. Energized by a slew of actions taken by the administration since the summer protests, the group cited widespread immigration detentions carried out by often-masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the administration's aggressive slashing of federal education resources and environmental protections, gerrymandering and other concerns.
More than 2,700 "No Kings" anti-Trump protests and community events are scheduled to take place today, Saturday, October 18, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. And a majority of those events are in small and medium-size towns, as the grassroots pro-democracy movement spreads to all corners of the country. This latest protest comes amid a federal government shutdown and as Trump has deployed National Guard troops to an increasing number of American cities.
After June's No Kings' protests brought out millions nationwide, the rabble-rousers are having another go at it this Saturday, with more No Kings demonstrations scheduled for SF, Oakland, Berkeley, and other Bay Area municipalities. If you've been following the current government shutdown talk in Washington DC, you may have noticed that House Speaker Mike Johnson has been referencing what he calls a Hate America Rally coming up this weekend.
The 'No Kings' mobilization is a direct response to Donald Trump's self-aggrandizing $100 million military parade and birthday celebration, an event funded by taxpayers while millions are told there's no money for Social Security, SNAP, Medicaid, or public schools.