Thousands of people across the United States took to the streets on Saturday for a nationwide "No Kings" rally against what they see as President Trump's authoritarian policies. The event saw significant crowds in major cities including New York City and Washington D.C., with London also hosting an event.
The rallies were largely peaceful, despite some initial concerns about potential violence. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), more than 100,000 people took part across all five boroughs in New York City without any "protest-related" arrests being made.
In contrast, there were reports of several arrests at other events, including one person detained and booked into jail after an alleged assault related to the protests in Portland, Oregon. In Chicago's Broadview neighborhood, 15 people were arrested by Illinois State Police near an ICE facility.
The "No Kings" rallies are part of a growing movement against what protesters see as Trump's increasing power grab. The demonstrations featured speakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who praised the turnout and called on Americans to stand up for democracy.
Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have dismissed the protests as an attempt to distract from the government shutdown battle and appease Trump's base. However, many Democrats saw the rallies as a manifestation of their own base's support for anti-authoritarian policies.
Despite differing perspectives on the events, it is clear that millions of Americans are taking to the streets to make their voices heard about what they see as an erosion of democratic values under the current administration.
The rallies were largely peaceful, despite some initial concerns about potential violence. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), more than 100,000 people took part across all five boroughs in New York City without any "protest-related" arrests being made.
In contrast, there were reports of several arrests at other events, including one person detained and booked into jail after an alleged assault related to the protests in Portland, Oregon. In Chicago's Broadview neighborhood, 15 people were arrested by Illinois State Police near an ICE facility.
The "No Kings" rallies are part of a growing movement against what protesters see as Trump's increasing power grab. The demonstrations featured speakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who praised the turnout and called on Americans to stand up for democracy.
Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have dismissed the protests as an attempt to distract from the government shutdown battle and appease Trump's base. However, many Democrats saw the rallies as a manifestation of their own base's support for anti-authoritarian policies.
Despite differing perspectives on the events, it is clear that millions of Americans are taking to the streets to make their voices heard about what they see as an erosion of democratic values under the current administration.
, can't believe all those ppl stand up for something like this... it's crazy how much power Trump has now and ppl are freaking out about it 
... I remember when Bush was president and it wasn't that big of a deal, but now with Trump it's like everyone's losing their mind 
... some people think Sanders is gonna run or something? 
idk man... anywayz the gov shutdown thingy has ppl divided for sure 
. It feels like ppl are finally speaking out against this adminstration. I drew a quick diagram to show how this movement is building momentum:
it's about time we acknowledge that his presidency is shaping our democracy in ways that are unsettling to many. personally, i think bernie sanders nailed it when he said we need to "stand up for democracy" 
the fact that republicans are trying to silence this movement with claims of being a distraction is just laughable 
meanwhile, millions of americans are showing up to make their voices heard and that's something to be celebrated 
its so inspiring to see people from all over the country coming together for democracy and human rights!!! even tho it wasnt 100% peaceful everywhere, its still super amazing that there were only minor arrests compared to some other cities...anyway cant wait to see more of this movement unfold 
meanwhile trump's all like 'i'm not an autocrat' but we can see the signs 
the real question is what's gonna happen when he leaves office? will things go back to normal or have ppl had enough of this authoritarian vibe 
. But at the same time, I'm a little worried that these protests might be getting a bit politicized - like, people on both sides are going to use them to just bash each other instead of focusing on what actually matters 
) people out there!
!