"No Kings Portests" NYC Doesn't Do Anything Small But Neither Do Other Cities

Protesters marching down Seventh Avenue in Manhattan on Saturday.Credit...Adam Gray for The New York Times

By Corina Knoll

The New York Times

 

They were teachers and lawyers, military veterans and fired government employees. Children and grandmothers, students and retirees.

Arriving in droves across the country in major cities and small towns, they appeared in costumes, blared music, brandished signs, hoisted American flags and cheered at the honks of passing cars.

The vibe in most places was irreverent but peaceful and family-friendly. The purpose, however, was focused. Each crowd, everywhere, shared the same mantra: No kings.

Collectively, the daylong mass demonstration against the Trump administration on Saturday, held in thousands of locations, condemned a president that the protesters view as acting like a monarch. 

Many had attended a similar event in June, but the months since had seen President Trump make a dizzying array of changes in quick succession.

This time, the crowds included a new round of protesters, those who said they were outraged over immigration raids, the deployment of federal troops in cities, government layoffs, steep budget cuts, the chipping away of voting rights, the rollback of vaccine requirements, the reversal on treaties with tribes and the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill.

A person wearing rain gear holds up a soggy sign that says, “We the People.” 

Despite heavy rain, protesters turned out for the ‘No Kings’ demonstration in Dallas on Saturday. Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times

Many were also united in saying the administration needed to show basic humanity.

“We can argue and debate policies and ways that we can solve problems,” said Chris Scharman, a lawyer who attended a rally in Salt Lake City. “But we shouldn’t be debating the value of people.”

In major metropolitan areas, like Washington, D.C., the crowds were huge. A rally in Atlanta that drew thousands at one point covered three city blocks. A protest in San Francisco poured across five. One rally in Chicago stretched over 22. 

Officials in New York said that more than 100,000 people demonstrated across all five boroughs of the city. One of the largest turnouts was in Times Square, where the streets were awash in a carnival-like atmosphere with flashy, flippant signs, one that announced “I Pledge Allegiance to No King.” Protesters sported the inflatable frog ensemble that activists in Portland, Ore., began wearing to poke fun at the White House’s attempt to portray activists as anarchists or domestic terrorists.

 

Known as No Kings Day, the demonstrations built off a similar event in June.CreditCredit...Jon Cherry for The New York Times

“We’ve got to speak up for our rights, especially if we’re lucky enough to be citizens,” said Bianca Diaz whose 6-year-old daughter, Luna, came dressed as an axolotl, a kind of salamander. “I wanted her to witness this,” Ms. Diaz said.

Known as No Kings Day, a follow-up to a demonstration in June, the events were scheduled at roughly 2,600 sites across all 50 states. They were organized by national and local groups and well-known progressive coalitions including Indivisible, 50501 and MoveOn.

The rallies came even as Mr. Trump’s approval ratings at the polls have not changed significantly. Republican leaders denounced the protests, blaming them for prolonging the government shutdown and calling the event the “hate America rally.” 

Mr. Trump’s political team trolled protesters on social media with AI-generated images of the president wearing a crown. When asked if the president had a comment on the demonstrations, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, gave a brief response in an email.

“Who cares?” she said.

Protesters hold up American flags and signs. Some signs say, “Hands Off Chicago.” 

The march in Chicago stretched over 22 blocks at one point.Credit...Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times

Ms. Diaz, 39, was one of those who did. She said she heard about the demonstration on TikTok and knew immediately that she would attend. A claims adjuster employed by the federal government, she has not been paid since the shutdown but said she supported the position of Democratic politicians who were pushing to keep health care costs down. A mass protest, she said, could be encouraging to leaders pursuing that goal.

How we report on crowd size. Estimating the size of a gathering is an inexact science. That’s why our reporters stick to rough estimates, and focus on conveying the mood of the event.

Here’s more on our crowd size reporting.

“Protesting is the only way to get our voices out,” said Libby Smith, 17, who attended a rally in Pittsburgh. She said her plans to join the military after high school were deflated when Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, fired a string of women leaders and said he wanted women out of combat roles.