Hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday at Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas to criticize President Donald Trump’s administration, with speakers urging demonstrators to make their voices heard beyond the rally and at the ballot box when early voting begins Monday.
With cooler weather settling over North Texas, demonstrators carried signs calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, opposing war with Iran and criticizing Republicans. Others displayed signs supporting Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. No counterprotesters or significant police presence were observed at Pacific Plaza.
The gathering was part of a nationwide round of No Kings demonstrations, with events across all 50 states. The movement began in June 2025 in opposition to Trump administration policies and what participants consider the expansion of presidential power.
Organized locally by Indivisible Dallas, part of a nationwide progressive grassroots movement that opposes Trump administration policies, Saturday’s rally featured speakers from several organizations encouraging civic engagement ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Early voting in Texas runs from Oct. 19 through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
“Today is about early voting,” said Stephanie Williams, senior state organizing manager for Black Voters Matter.
Stephanie Williams with Black Voters Matter Fund speaks as people gather at the No Kings: Vote Early rally at Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
Williams said her nonpartisan organization had spent months calling voters, knocking on doors and visiting churches to help people check their registration status and prepare for potential problems at polling locations.
She expressed concern about longtime voters unaware their registration records were on the state’s suspense list. The designation does not automatically disqualify someone from voting. Voters who remain registered in their county generally can cast a regular ballot after completing a statement of residence.
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Brittany Packnett Cunningham of the Children’s Defense Fund, who is based in the Washington, D.C., area, said voting decisions also affect millions of Americans too young to cast ballots.
Cunningham participated in a “Read Aloud for Democracy” program with children and families at the rally. She said the organization was encouraging adults to consider how elections affect children’s access to education, health care and basic necessities.
“There are 73 million children in America under the age of 18 who cannot walk into a voting booth, but who will be impacted by every choice that’s made inside of it,” Cunningham said.
For some demonstrators, immigration enforcement was the driving concern.
Sukie Everett of Irving wears a crown made out of aluminum foil as people gather at the No Kings: Vote Early rally at Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
Suki Everett said reports of federal agents targeting people based on their appearance and the treatment of immigrants detained under the Trump administration had drawn her into politics.
“I’ve never been interested in politics,” Everett said.
A neighbor’s insistence that people needed to speak out helped persuade her to attend.
Elisa Pradarits arrived dressed as the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, wearing a black judicial robe in tribute to the justice’s advocacy for women’s rights.
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Pradarits criticized immigration agents who conceal their identities and questioned arrests of immigrants appearing at courthouses.
“When they grab people at the courthouses where they have come to do things legally, and then they grab them there, that’s just too much,” Pradarits said.
She also called for Trump’s impeachment and expressed hope that Democrats would gain seats in Congress.
Dalvin Cole, 71, a longtime Dallas resident attending his fourth No Kings demonstration, said he was concerned about presidential authority and what he considered political retaliation against Trump’s critics.
People gather at the No Kings: Vote Early rally at Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
“The Constitution said we, the people, run this, right? Not one man,” Cole said.
From the stage, Denita Jones, diversity, equity and inclusion director for the League of Women Voters of Dallas, urged demonstrators to stay involved after leaving Pacific Plaza.
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“A rally is not the movement. A rally is where we demonstrate the movement’s strength,” Jones told the crowd.
She encouraged participants to help first-time voters, attend local government meetings and continue making their voices heard. Jones ended her remarks by leading a chant of “No Kings” and “Power to the people.”
Cole said participating in demonstrations was about drawing attention to important issues rather than himself.
“I will not stop,” he said.
Gene Hempy of Dallas waves an American flag with the words “VOTE EARLY” as people gather at the No Kings: Vote Early rally at Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News)
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This article originally published at Hundreds gather for No Kings rally in downtown Dallas ahead of early voting.