{"id":10935,"date":"2025-10-19T13:54:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/10935\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T13:54:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:54:11","slug":"no-kings-protests-millions-rally-against-trump-across-the-us-heres-why-protesters-say-they-attended","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/10935\/","title":{"rendered":"No Kings protests: Millions rally against Trump across the US. Here\u2019s why protesters say they attended"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n To celebrate her 70th birthday, retired government worker Peggy Cole says she and a friend drove nearly 10 hours from her hometown of Flint, Michigan, to join a protest in Washington, DC, on Saturday.\n <\/p>\n

\n Cole said she felt compelled to mark the milestone at the large demonstration because it\u2019s a \u201cscary time\u201d for Americans and democracy is at stake.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt seems to me, (Trump is) taking our government, our democracy, and dismantling it piece by piece, slowly, but surely, if we sit by and don\u2019t do anything about it,\u201d Cole said.\n <\/p>\n

\n The event was one of more than 2,700 \u201cNo Kings\u201d rallies held across the country on Saturday, protesting what organizers describe as President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cauthoritarian\u201d agenda. That\u2019s hundreds more events than were planned for the first go-round in June, when about 5 million people across the country took to the streets<\/a> to protest Trump\u2019s administration as he held a military parade<\/a> in Washington.\n <\/p>\n

\n Nearly 7 million people showed up for Saturday\u2019s rallies \u2013 including more than 100,000 people in New York, organizers<\/a> and officials said. Along with larger events in major cities, small pockets<\/a> of \u201cNo Kings\u201d protesters cropped up along busy thoroughfares, in small town squares and at municipal parks in red and blue states alike.\n <\/p>\n

\"Thousands<\/p>\n

\n The largely peaceful protests<\/a> followed a tumultuous summer of mass immigration raids, demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement and the deployment of federal troops into Democratic-led cities.\n <\/p>\n

\n Police in Portland<\/a> and New York City<\/a> reported that the protests concluded with no arrests.\n <\/p>\n

\n Trouble came later in the day when some individuals targeted protesters: A woman in South Carolina was arrested for brandishing a firearm while driving near a demonstration and a man in Georgia was seen on video taking a protester\u2019s flag and pushing another demonstrator to the ground.\n <\/p>\n

\n While the Trump administration and some GOP officials have painted anti-Trump protests as the work of \u201cviolent left-wing radicals,\u201d the organization behind the \u201cNo Kings\u201d events, the Indivisible Project, says it is committed to \u201cnonviolent action\u201d<\/a> and had trained tens of thousands of people in safety and de-escalation. That became especially important amid growing political violence<\/a> across the country, some organizers said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Some demonstrators wore yellow \u2013 a symbol of unity and a reference to other nonviolent resistance movements, according to organizers. \u201cYellow is a bright, unmistakable reminder that millions of us stand together in the belief that America belongs to its people, not to kings,\u201d reads a flyer on the \u201cNo Kings\u201d website<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

\n Other protesters wore costumes, including inflatable chickens, frogs and dinosaurs, which some said emphasized the peaceful nature of the demonstrations. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to call something a war zone, when you look at something and it\u2019s just a block party and people in Halloween costumes,\u201d said a Los Angeles protester who wore a unicorn costume as he danced to music.\n <\/p>\n

\n Protesters could be heard loudly cheering and chanting slogans into megaphones, including, \u201cThis is what democracy looks like,\u201d and \u201cNo hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.\u201d They waved American flags along with signs opposing ICE, authoritarianism and billionaires.\n <\/p>\n

\n CNN field teams spoke with attendees at rallies across the country. Here\u2019s what protesters had to say:\n <\/p>\n

\n Many protesters emphasized the importance of democracy \u2013 an institution they fear is eroding with Trump\u2019s attempts to expand executive power.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe\u2019re a democracy. And that, in a democracy, people can stand up and voice their opinions. And that we are not going to be silenced,\u201d Joan Press told CNN at a protest in Atlanta.\n <\/p>\n

\n A rally that kicked off the Atlanta protest featured high-profile speakers, including Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia.\n <\/p>\n

\"Sen.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIn this moment, in which we are seeing a president and an administration arrogating to himself power that doesn\u2019t belong to him, our message is very clear,\u201d Warnock later told CNN. \u201cThis is not about the people in power, it\u2019s about the power in the people.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Kimberly Diemert, an organizer and communications director for the Georgia chapter of 50501, a \u201cdecentralized\u201d movement that has helped lead the wave of nationwide protests, reminded the crowd about the city\u2019s civil rights legacy.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cAtlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement as well as democracy \u2026 we don\u2019t want to lose that,\u201d Diemert said.\n <\/p>\n

\n In New York City, one demonstrator held a sign reading: \u201cWe protest because we love America, and we want it back.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n The protester, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons, said she\u2019s been protesting since the 1960s, but this time feels different.\n <\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIn the 60s we wanted to expand rights \u2013 women\u2019s rights, gay rights, minority rights, voting rights,\u201d she said. \u201cBut all that\u2019s being taken away now. Now our entire democracy is being threatened, the basic tenets, the press, the judiciary.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n She described feeling \u201cvery sad, a sense of loss, fear\u201d under the Trump administration.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping together, we can all save democracy,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Dressed in Revolutionary War-era clothing and wigs, members of the group All in for Democracy attended the \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest in Washington, DC.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI just see all of our institutions changing, and I don\u2019t want us to change as a country and as a people,\u201d said DC resident Lee Ayres, sporting a coat, wig and hat. \u201cI want all of America to realize the Declaration of Independence is about no kings.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Many demonstrators called out what they feel is a threat to freedom of expression in the US.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem like we\u2019re able to peacefully or safely (express ourselves) right now, without fear of repercussions\u201d from the government, work or families, said Bobbie Castillo, who traveled hours from her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, to DC for her first protest ever.\n <\/p>\n

\n Bill Nye, \u201cThe Science Guy,\u201d rallied the crowd at the DC protest, arguing that Trump and his associates \u201ccannot tolerate dissent.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cTo them, our free speech is frightening. They are arresting people and denying due process in courts. They tried to silence television hosts,\u201d Nye, a former TV host, said.\n <\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Participants in smaller cities and towns said they were struck by the size of the turnout Saturday.\n <\/p>\n

\n In Ashland, Oregon, Joel Lesko said the day was about \u201cjoyfully celebrating our love for America, for free speech, for the importance of community and using our voices for diversity and inclusion and democracy.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n After attending a protest in ruby-red Hendersonville, North Carolina, author Lynn Ames told CNN, \u201cIf you love this country, saving democracy is a priority no matter where you live, including in small-town America. Maybe especially in small-town America.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

Immigration raids and National Guard deployment<\/p>\n

\n Many protesters connected their attendance to the ongoing immigration crackdown and the federal government\u2019s forceful response to anti-ICE protests that first erupted in Los Angeles following local raids. The demonstrations have since spread to numerous other cities, including Chicago, New York City, Dallas and Portland.\n <\/p>\n

\n Trump\u2019s attempts to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-controlled cities \u2013 which he argues is necessary to quell violence and support his deportation initiatives \u2013 have drawn legal challenges by state and local officials.\n <\/p>\n

\n Demonstrators in Los Angeles \u2013 where federal immigration raids triggered massive protests<\/a> in June and led to Trump sending in the National Guard against Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s wishes \u2013 emphasized rights for immigrants and called for a stop to the Trump administration\u2019s deportation campaign.\n <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n Sitting in front of LA\u2019s City Hall, Gilberto Beas told CNN the protest is \u201ca message for ICE to stop doing what they\u2019re doing.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Maria Rivera Cummings, who was born in Los Angeles and is of Mexican descent, said: \u201cWe\u2019re all immigrants and everyone has rights here.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n At a demonstration in DC, Michael Langfeldt said he was protesting what he sees as \u201chatred\u201d toward immigrants and the deployment of the military to US cities.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI feel like there\u2019s a lot of overreach in the federal government, specifically in like the executive branch,\u201d he told CNN. \u201cCongress doesn\u2019t do anything about it.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Hailey, a 24-year-old demonstrator in an inflatable frog suit, told CNN that she was inspired by demonstrators in Portland, who have faced off against federal law enforcement for weeks. Protesters there have donned inflatable costumes<\/a> at rallies outside an ICE facility \u2014 in part to dispute Trump\u2019s characterization of the city as \u201cwar-ravaged.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI think it\u2019s hard to see a country that you love descend into fascism,\u201d Hailey told CNN.\n <\/p>\n

\n In Chicago, which has been an epicenter<\/a> for the resistance to Trump\u2019s sweeping immigration crackdown, many carried Mexican flags and signs like \u201cHands off our Democracy\u201d and \u201cICE OUT!\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\"Protestors<\/p>\n

\n Actor John Cusack, a Chicago resident known for being outspoken about Hollywood and the US government, said the city\u2019s message to the Trump administration is: \u201cGo to hell!\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cNo, you can\u2019t put troops on our streets. You can\u2019t create enough chaos to invoke the Insurrection Act so you can stay in power,\u201d the actor said, addressing the president.\n <\/p>\n

\n Dakota Englert, from Coal City, Illinois, said she came to stand up for basic humanity.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe all bleed the same color \u2026 I feel for the people that are being separated from their families, the people that are being hurt, killed,\u201d Englert said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Other protesters expressed concerns about cuts to federal programs \u2014 particularly health care. The protests come as the federal government is shut down, with GOP lawmakers and the White House locked in a standoff<\/a> with Democrats over a funding bill.\n <\/p>\n

\n Danielle Guinto, a mother of two, said she worries about the major federal changes to Medicaid and other health-related policies that could impact her children\u2019s health, as well as the rising cost of living.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI just don\u2019t understand how you can rip food out of people\u2019s mouths, how you can separate, rip people out of their homes,\u201d she told CNN at the Chicago demonstration. \u201cHow can you look at a family with fear in their eyes and you\u2019re just going to go take them away?\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Anthony Lee, who works at the Food and Drug Administration and was one of many federal workers who were furloughed following the shutdown, said he came to the demonstration to protect public services. Lee, president of the National Treasury Employees Union chapter in DC, attended the event with a group of unionized federal workers.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a public servant for over 20 years, and to see the destruction, really, of our government, our public services, over the last several months has been really scary,\u201d Lee said.\n <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Another federal government employee who was furloughed said she joined the DC protest because the Trump administration has affected her livelihood and \u201cdemonized\u201d federal workers.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe elimination of all these jobs are creating mass threats (for people to be able) to keep their home, to keep a roof over their head, send their kids to college and the hope of the American dream,\u201d said Monica, who declined to share her last name out of fear of retaliation.\n <\/p>\n

\n Elizabeth Nee, a 25-year-old social worker from Maryland, told CNN she\u2019s seeing an impact at the psychiatric hospital she works at in Baltimore.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe have a lot of people who are coming in and they\u2019re unhoused, a lot of people on Medicaid. Everything\u2019s at risk right now,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Speaking at the DC protest, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out Trump and his billionaire allies, like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThis moment is not just about one man\u2019s greed, one man\u2019s corruption or one man\u2019s contempt for the Constitution,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThis is about a handful of the wealthiest people on Earth who, in their insatiable greed, have hijacked our economy and our political system in order to enrich themselves at the expense of working families throughout this country.\u201d\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To celebrate her 70th birthday, retired government worker Peggy Cole says she and a friend drove nearly 10…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[168,170,169],"class_list":["post-10935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lubbock","tag-lubbock","tag-lubbock-headlines","tag-lubbock-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}