WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of protesters filled streets across the United States on Saturday in coordinated “No Kings” rallies denouncing what they described as President Donald Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and attacks on democratic norms.
Organizers said more than 2,600 events were held nationwide, with large turnouts reported in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Portland. Marchers carried placards likening Trump to a monarch and chanted slogans demanding the protection of birthright citizenship, fair elections and immigrant rights.
“We are here today for ‘No Kings 2.0.’ Things have gotten worse in our country,” said Debbie Rosenman of Michigan. “This is not a ‘Hate America’ rally. This is a ‘Love America’ rally.”
Protesters cited a slate of recent administration actions and proposals — including efforts to challenge birthright citizenship and aggressive immigration raids — as evidence of democratic backsliding. Speakers at several rallies urged Congress to take stronger oversight measures and pressed state and local officials to resist federal policies they deem unconstitutional.
The White House dismissed the demonstrations, labeling them a “hate America” spectacle and defending the President’s agenda as lawful and necessary. Administration allies argued the rallies mischaracterized policy disputes as threats to democracy.
Solidarity events were also held in European capitals, including Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon and Paris, where participants accused Trump of eroding the United States’ global standing.
Law enforcement agencies in several U.S. cities reported peaceful gatherings with intermittent traffic disruptions; a handful of scuffles and isolated arrests were noted in some locations, but there were no immediate reports of widespread violence.
Saturday’s demonstrations were the second iteration of the “No Kings” mobilization, which organizers say will continue in the run-up to next year’s elections. Activists pledged voter-registration drives and legal challenges to contested policies, framing the movement as a long-term campaign to safeguard democratic institutions.
“Our message is simple,” one organizer in Washington said from a makeshift stage near the National Mall. “Presidents are not kings. The Constitution still rules.”
