Millions Join Nationwide "No Kings" Protests Against Trump's Policies and Perceived Authoritarianism

Organizers anticipate millions of participants attending nationwide demonstrations.

Massive crowds are expected to gather across the United States from New York to San Francisco on Saturday for the "No Kings" protests, expressing opposition to President Donald Trump's controversial policies, while Republicans condemn these events as "Hate America" rallies.

Over 2,700 demonstrations have been planned throughout the country, from major metropolitan areas to small communities, including near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where he is spending the weekend. Organizers predict attendance in the millions.

Such numbers would mirror the extensive participation seen during similar events on June 14, Trump's birthday, when a large military parade in Washington D.C. sparked outrage over the administration's harsh measures against undocumented immigrants and the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has ordered National Guard deployments to Washington and Memphis, while planned deployments to Chicago and Portland, Oregon remain blocked in courts.

Protesters are additionally concerned about Trump's media attacks, prosecutions of political opponents, and other actions they perceive as authoritarian behavior.

"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," states the "No Kings" movement, a coalition of approximately 300 organizations, on their website.

A government shutdown has now entered its third week, with thousands of federal workers dismissed and lawmakers showing little progress toward resolution.

"This president is a disgrace and I hope there will be millions in the street today," said Stephanie, a 36-year-old hospital worker who withheld her surname, speaking to AFP in Queens, New York, where hundreds had assembled early in the morning.

Demonstrators displayed colorful signs reading "Queens Say No Kings," and "We protest because we love America and want it back!" Some chanted, "We love our country, we can't stand Trump!"

Los Angeles organizers plan to feature a giant balloon depicting Trump in a diaper and anticipate 100,000 attendees.

The Republican billionaire president has responded minimally to Saturday's planned events.

"They're saying they're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king," he told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

However, his key supporters have taken a more combative stance, with House Speaker Mike Johnson labeling the protest day 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 lawmaker Tom Emmer similarly used the "Hate America" phrase and described participants as the "terrorist wing" of the Democratic Party.

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

The "No Kings" movement has even organized events in Canada, with small protests occurring in Malaga, Spain and Malmo, Sweden.

On Thursday, Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, stated that 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 efforts to deploy National Guard troops to American cities, crack down on undocumented immigrants, and prosecute political opponents.

"It is the classic authoritarian playbook: threaten, smear and lie, scare people into submission," Greenberg said.

Leading Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer encouraged protesters to make their voices heard.

"I say to my fellow Americans this No Kings Day: Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That's what they want to do. They're afraid of the truth," he wrote on X.

"Speak out, use your voice, and exercise your right to free speech."