"No Kings" Nationwide Protests Challenge Trump's Second Term Amid Growing Authoritarianism Concerns

The "No Kings" movement against Trump's second term has united 300 organizations across the United States.

Protests from New York to San Francisco under the "No Kings" banner on Saturday will measure public opposition to President Donald Trump's assertive second term, following previous demonstrations that brought millions to the streets.

"The president believes his authority is absolute. But in America, we don't have kings and we will stand firm against chaos, corruption, and cruelty," states the "No Kings" movement's website, representing approximately 300 organizations.

More than 2,700 demonstrations are scheduled throughout the country, from major metropolitan areas to small communities, including near Trump's Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago, where he will spend the weekend. Organizers anticipate millions of participants.

Millions attended protests on June 14 following Trump's decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles, which critics characterized as dictatorial behavior.

This represented the largest protest movement since the Republican billionaire returned to the White House in January.

Trump had previously threatened to use "very big force" against any protesters attempting to disrupt the military parade in Washington DC.

Since then, he has expanded military deployments in American cities, drawing significant criticism.

A government shutdown has now entered its third week, with the Trump administration terminating thousands of federal employees while lawmakers show little progress toward resolution.

Trump's reaction to this upcoming day of protests has been relatively subdued.

"They're saying they're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king," he stated in an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

However, his Republican allies have taken a more confrontational stance, with House Speaker Mike Johnson labeling the protest as the "Hate America rally."

"You're going to bring together the Marxists, the Socialists, the Antifa advocates, the anarchists and the pro-Hamas wing of the far-left Democrat Party," Johnson told reporters.

Republican congressman Tom Emmer also used the "Hate America" phrase and described participants as the "terrorist wing" of the Democratic Party.

Democratic congressman Glenn Ivey rejected these characterizations, telling AFP on Friday: "I understand why they're nervous about it and trying to paint it in a bad light."

"It's really the strong counter-push to what they've been doing -- that's undermining the country, destroying the rule of law and undermining our democracy," said Ivey, who planned to attend protests in his Maryland district.

Beyond New York and San Francisco, demonstrations are planned in major cities including Washington, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and New Orleans, as well as small towns across all 50 states.

The "No Kings" movement is organizing events in Canada as well.

On Thursday, Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said protesters aimed to convey that "we are a country of equals."

"We are a country of laws that apply to everyone, of due process and of democracy. We will not be silenced," she told reporters.

Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the Indivisible Project, criticized the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to American cities, crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and prosecution of political opponents.

"It is the classic authoritarian playbook: threaten, smear and lie, scare people into submission," Greenberg said. "But we will not be intimidated. We will not be cowed."

Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, a vocal Trump critic, encouraged Americans to participate in the protests.

"We've had two and a half centuries of democracy... often challenging, sometimes messy, always essential," De Niro said in a brief video.

"Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away: King Donald the First," he said.

"We're rising up again this time, nonviolently raising our voices to declare: No kings."