Millions of people took to streets across the U.S. this June to protest the policies of President Donald Trump during the “No Kings” protests, and another wave is planned this month. Here’s what you need to know.
Protests are already planned in cities across the country for Oct. 18. During the June 14 protest wave, an estimated 5 million people in 2,100 areas came out for the protests and organizers said in a Sept. 18 call to action video that they are trying to get even more people to attend the next wave.
“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 of the event.
According to the “No Kings” website, the movement (which takes its name from criticism that Trump wants to govern like a king rather than a president) is a stand against several Trump administration policies and other issues associated with the MAGA movement.
These include: “sending militarized agents” into communities, targeting immigrant families, allegedly arresting and detaining people without warrants, trying to overtake elections, gutting healthcare, gutting environmental protections, and changes to education, per the “No Kings” website. It also said the administration is “ignoring mass shootings at our schools” and is “driving up the cost of living while handing out massive giveaways to billionaire allies, as families struggle.”
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” said the website. “But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
Others who joined the Sept. 18 call to action were Ezra Levin of Indivisible, Joel Payne of MoveOn, Greisa Martinez Rosas of United We Dream Action, Chase Santiago of the ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project and Mark Ruffalo, an actor and activist.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s choosing to move forward despite it,” said Martinez Rosas. “And that kind of courage – it’s the kind of courage that shakes up wannabe kings, it’s the kind of courage that breaks chains and it’s the kind of courage that’s not built alone, it’s built in community, together. Right here, right now.”
“None of us can survive this if we leave anyone to fight alone,” Santiago added.
Ruffalo, who is known for playing Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, said that those who join the protest will be fighting against authoritarianism that leads people to live “frightened” and “secretive” lives. He used the Taliban as a severe example of authoritarianism.
“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 Ruffalo. “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?”
In a Thursday Bluesky post, Indivisible’s Levin also revealed that he had invited talk show host Jimmy Kimmel – whose show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was recently pulled off air briefly after his comments about the alleged shooter of conservative activist Charlie Kirk – to speak at the Oct. 18 events.
On the “No Kings” website, it says that the movement is intended to be non-violent. From now until the Oct. 18 events, there are online planning meetings offered to make sure the events are safe, as well as a toolkit for local event organizers.