Washington: Thousands of Americans took to the streets on Saturday to protest against President Donald Trump in more than 2,500 rallies across the country.
Crowds packed Times Square in New York City for the event organised by No Kings, a coalition of left-leaning groups. Similar demonstrations also took place in Washington, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, and smaller towns in all 50 states.
The protests, held under the banner ‘No Kings,’ aim to challenge what organisers call Trump’s ‘authoritarianism.’ “The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty,” the organisers said. June protests under the same banner had drawn over five million participants nationwide.
Trump supporters criticised the protests, claiming they were linked to the far-left Antifa movement. Republican governors in several states placed National Guard troops on standby, citing security concerns.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott activated the National Guard ahead of a protest in Austin, describing it as a “planned Antifa-linked demonstration.” Texas Democrat Gene Wu condemned the move, stating that, “Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do—and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them.”
NYC No Kings—these are 8 different pics of an aerial shot panning for blocks. Enormous crowd.
#NoKings pic.twitter.com/Mcgqey3TaT
— No Kings (@NoKingsProtest) October 18, 2025
Trump responded in a Fox News interview, calling the organisers’ description of him as a king ‘not an act’ and insisting, ‘I’m not a king.’
Protests also spread to Europe, with demonstrators gathering outside the US Embassies in Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Paris, and Sweden to show solidarity. Protesters held signs denouncing fascism and dictatorships. Top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer encouraged Americans to raise their voices, writing on X, “Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That’s what they want to do. They’re afraid of the truth.”
Celebrities, including actor Robert De Niro, urged Americans to participate peacefully. In a video message, De Niro said, “We’ve had two and a half centuries of democracy… often challenging, sometimes messy, always essential. Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away: King Donald the First.”
The protests come amid growing tensions over Trump’s policies, including immigration crackdowns, threats to cut federal funding for universities over diversity policies, and the deployment of National Guard troops in multiple states.
