People in cities across the U.S. are gathering today to protest President Donald Trump and the policies of the current administration. This is the second wave of “No Kings” protests held since Trump began his second term in January.
During the first No Kings wave in June, an estimated 5 million people turned out to the nationwide protests, and organizers were expecting even more at the Saturday demonstrations. These events allude to Trump’s reputation for acting like a king. They also are meant to criticize the administration’s approach to immigration, crime, LGBTQ+ issues and more.
“We’re gonna come together across all these communities to say, with deep conviction from the deepest part of who we are: the people still have all the power,” said Ash-Lee Woodward Henderson, one of the main organizers, in a call-to-action meeting ahead of the Saturday protests.
“I know it’s scary, and I know that there’s a lot of doubt. But now is the time for us to find our heroism,” said actor and activist Mark Ruffalo (known for playing Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), another meeting attendee “We love stories about heroes – as Americans we keep this idea, the myth about the American hero, but when do we get a chance to actually engage in it?”
Republicans have in turn criticized the protests. No Kings organizers noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) blamed them for the ongoing government shutdown.
“Speaker Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down. Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, he’s attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings,” said an Oct. 10 posted by No Kings organizers. “We’ll see everyone on October 18.”
By 2:30 afternoon ET, people were already gathered in the streets in many U.S. cities, including New York, N.Y.; Chicago, Ill., Washington, D.C. and Birmingham, Ala. Audacy stations have been reporting on preparations for the protests throughout this week. Here are some of the latest updates:
WWJ Newsradio is tracking protests in sites across Michigan.
New York saw huge crowds, as it expected.
Chicago saw big crowds too, and actor John Cusack joined the marchers. Brandon Ison of WBBM Newsradio snapped some shots as well.
WCCO in the Twins Cities pushed back on the argument that No Kings rallies are un-American.
Pittsburgh, Pa., geared up for thousands to hit the streets there.
KYW caught up with organizers ahead of the demonstrations in Philadelphia, Pa.
In Los Angeles, there were concerns about plans for the U.S. Navy launching missiles over the 5 freeway interfering with protests.
Check back for more updates.