WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded streets in more than 2,600 locations across the United States on Saturday, denouncing what organizers call President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian rule” and urging a return to democratic norms. Sister marches were held in European capitals including Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon and Paris.
Branded “No Kings 2.0,” the coordinated actions spanned major U.S. cities—Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Portland among them. Protesters cited recent administration moves they argue subvert the Constitution, pointing to hard-line immigration raids and efforts to challenge birthright citizenship.
“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.”
Marchers carried placards likening Trump to a monarch and chanted slogans casting the protests as a defense of civil liberties and institutional checks and balances. Organizers framed the mobilization as a nonviolent show of dissent aimed at energizing civic participation ahead of next year’s election calendar.
The White House dismissed the demonstrations, labeling them a “hate America” spectacle and defending the president’s agenda as a lawful exercise of executive authority intended to strengthen border security and national sovereignty.
Saturday’s protests marked the second iteration of the “No Kings” mobilization, with organizers saying turnout grew amid mounting concern over the administration’s rhetoric toward the judiciary, the press, and political opponents. In Europe, participants criticized what they described as the erosion of U.S. moral leadership on the world stage.
Local authorities in multiple U.S. cities prepared for large crowds with rolling street closures and visible police presence. Organizers reported peaceful gatherings, though detailed reports on arrests or injuries were not immediately available.
As rallies dispersed into teach-ins and voter-registration drives, protest leaders vowed continued pressure. “We’re going to keep showing up—at city halls, statehouses and the ballot box,” one organizer said from a stage near the U.S. Capitol. “In a democracy, the people—not a king—decide.”
