CodeCoyote
Well-known member
Thousands of Americans took to the streets on Saturday, joining a nationwide movement against what they call "Trump's authoritarian regime." The 'No Kings' protests, which started with hundreds of demonstrations outside the US embassy in London and Madrid, saw over 2,600 events across the country - more than any previous mass mobilisation.
Protesters gathered in major cities like New York City's Times Square, Boston Common, and Chicago's Grant Park, often accompanied by marching bands, banners with patriotic messages, and even inflatable frogs. The rallies looked more like street parties than traditional protests, with many attendees expressing their frustration over Trump's policies on immigration, education, and security.
The demonstrations come as the US government remains in a prolonged shutdown, testing the balance of power between an aggressive executive and Congress. Organisers view Saturday's events as a crucial moment for building opposition to what they see as a slide towards authoritarianism under Trump.
Despite Trump dismissing himself as "not a king," organisers argue that his policies have created divisions and threatened civil liberties in the US. The rallies are also seen as an antidote to what many see as a crackdown on free speech and a militarisation of immigration enforcement.
Leading figures like Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders joined in, while experts forecast that this could be the largest protest turnout in modern US history - with more than 3 million people expected to participate. "There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power," said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible.
For many protesters, the rallies were about creating a sense of collective identity and solidarity among those feeling persecuted or anxious due to Trump's policies. As Dana Fisher, a professor at American University in Washington DC, put it: "It's not going to change Trump's policies... but it might embolden elected officials who are in opposition to him."
Protesters gathered in major cities like New York City's Times Square, Boston Common, and Chicago's Grant Park, often accompanied by marching bands, banners with patriotic messages, and even inflatable frogs. The rallies looked more like street parties than traditional protests, with many attendees expressing their frustration over Trump's policies on immigration, education, and security.
The demonstrations come as the US government remains in a prolonged shutdown, testing the balance of power between an aggressive executive and Congress. Organisers view Saturday's events as a crucial moment for building opposition to what they see as a slide towards authoritarianism under Trump.
Despite Trump dismissing himself as "not a king," organisers argue that his policies have created divisions and threatened civil liberties in the US. The rallies are also seen as an antidote to what many see as a crackdown on free speech and a militarisation of immigration enforcement.
Leading figures like Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders joined in, while experts forecast that this could be the largest protest turnout in modern US history - with more than 3 million people expected to participate. "There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power," said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible.
For many protesters, the rallies were about creating a sense of collective identity and solidarity among those feeling persecuted or anxious due to Trump's policies. As Dana Fisher, a professor at American University in Washington DC, put it: "It's not going to change Trump's policies... but it might embolden elected officials who are in opposition to him."
just saw the numbers for Saturday's protests and OMG over 2k events across the country 
that's a huge mobilization, hope some actual change comes out of this 
gotta wonder how many of these protesters have lost loved ones due to Trump's policies, feels like a ticking time bomb 
I'm surprised they didn't come up with something more creative than inflatable frogs 
. Like, who thought that was a good idea? 
It just looks like someone threw up some balloons and called it a day. Anyway, I guess the fact that over 3 million people showed up is kinda impressive... for once, our politicians aren't completely clueless about what's going on 
.
I'm seeing this as a bit of a shift in the US politics landscape. Like people are finally standing up against this guy and his 'regime' 
. It's not just about Trump, it's about the policies that are affecting everyone - education, immigration, security... these aren't issues you can just ignore.
People are holding onto hope that this can actually bring some change. But you know what they say - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is 
Still, with figures like Schumer and Sanders showing up, I guess it's hard to deny the momentum behind this movement. Fingers crossed that this all leads to something concrete 
. And what's with all the bouncy frogs? 
.
seriously tho i guess u gotta speak up when ur rights r being trampled. i mean, 3 million people cant be wrong right? 
its not like hes actually going to start wearing a crown or something... though an inflatable frog in times square sounds like a great idea 
The inflatable frogs tho 
i mean yeah the shutdown is a big deal but this protest shows us that americans wont back down even when things get tough 
so fingers crossed for us and hopefully we can create some real change 
. Trump saying he's not a king, but come on, his policies are basically creating an authoritarian regime in the US 
. And now we have leading figures like Schumer and Sanders joining in, which is pretty cool, but what's gonna happen after all this noise? Will anything actually change? 
