What is ‘No Kings’?
“No Kings” protests, organized by the activist coalition Indivisible, first emerged in 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump’s second term began.
Indivisible bills itself as a nationwide movement that aims to “stop the rise of authoritarianism in the United States and to build a real democracy that works for all of us.”
The June 2025 gathering was held on Trump’s birthday as the president held a military parade in Washington, D.C. The “No Kings” protest in Philly brought thousands to the Ben Franklin Parkway. Nationally, organizers estimated that more than 5 million people participated across more than 2,000 protests.
Another estimated 7 million people rallied across even more “No Kings” protests last October amid the government shutdown, immigration raids and the deployment of National Guard troops to major cities.
More than 3,000 “No Kings” protests also took place in March against the backdrop of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and a partial government shutdown.
The marches and rallies are in opposition to what organizers say is an increasingly authoritarian president.
The Trump administration has made many attempts to assert federal control over elections, including efforts to restrict mail ballots, redraw congressional district lines and change national election rules impacting voter eligibility.
Trump has regularly cast doubt on election security, though experts agree the highly decentralized system remains safe and secure. Trump also falsely claims to have won the 2020 election, and he attempted to overturn the result.
Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, said the goal of the October demonstrations is for democracy to reassert itself and to mobilize volunteers to prepare for possible election interference.
Speaking on the Indivisible podcast “What’s The Plan,” Levin said, “The best way to [push back] is by boosting the early vote to historic margins so he cannot steal it.” Echoing LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, he added: “Make it too big to rig.”
Trump has previously dismissed “No Kings” protests, telling Fox News, “They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis similarly dismissed the upcoming event, telling USA Today, “What king are they protesting? This is more Trump derangement syndrome.”
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.