Sunday, 19 October 2025

What to know about the thousands of No Kings protests planned in the US this weekend.

 Extract from ABC News

Protesters hold up placards saying "No kings since 1776" and "don't pretend your racism is patriotic".

Thousands of rallies protesting the Trump administration are expected to take place in the US this weekend.    (Reuters: Dylan Martinez)

Millions of Americans are expected to take to the streets this weekend as part of nationwide protests against US President Donald Trump and his government. 

Coordinated by progressive organisation Indivisible, the No Kings protests planned for Saturday are expected to be the single biggest day of protest in US history. 

Here's what to know about the rallies.  

What are the protests for?

The organisers say this weekend's events will be protesting "authoritarian power grabs" by the Trump administration.

They say the president has broken several laws to carry out his policies and are calling on Americans to peacefully protest those actions.

"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 No Kings website reads.

Where has Donald Trump been accused of making power grabs?

Since his second term began in January, the president has frequently been accused of breaking laws and seizing more power than is fair, or than his office entitles him to.

How big are the protests expected to be?

Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin believes the events will make for "the largest protest in modern American history".

More than 2,500 rallies are planned across the country, and significant turnout is expected at those taking place in major cities.

The first round of No Kings protests were estimated to have drawn about 5 million participants, and Mr Levin believes this weekend's will outstrip that number.

A map with thousands of pins showing where protests are planned
A view of the No Kings protests planned on the US mainland on October 18.()

How have Republicans responded?

Republicans have attempted to get in front of the protests by branding them as anti-American. 

Without providing evidence, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested the protest participants are supportive of designated terror organisation Hamas, and are members of the far-left political action group Antifa.   

Republican senator Roger Marshall said he doubts the protests will be peaceful. 

"This will be a Soros paid-for protest for his professional protesters," he said

"The agitators will show up. We'll have to get the National Guard out."

Indivisible co-executive director Leah Greenberg said the comments were "designed to intimidate, distract and divide", and the protests are intended to be peaceful. 

A tightly-packed crowd of protesters hold up placards
Millions of people turned out for the first set of No Kings protests in June.()

Where does the No Kings name come from?

It's a reference to the foundation of the United States.

Before becoming an independent country, America was a collection of 13 British colonies along the east coast of the continent.

A man wearing 18th century garb holds up a placard with a portrait of James Madison that reads "NO KINGS"

A protester dressed as James Madison, one of the US' Founding Fathers, during the June protests.  ()

During the second half of the 18th century, many of the people living in the colonies became unhappy with king George III's rule.

While there was a variety of factors fuelling their discontentment, one of the main grievances was the belief that they were not represented in British parliament, despite paying heavy taxes.

Those people, known as Patriots, fought the War of Independence against England to eventually have America break away from the British crown and become the United States.

The Founding Fathers, who wrote up the constitution for the fledgling nation, envisioned a system where ultimate authority could not be given to one person (such as a king).

The No Kings organisers say the name is "the foundation our nation was built on".

"Because this country does not belong to kings, dictators, or tyrants. It belongs to We the People — the people who care, who show up, and the ones who fight for dignity, a life we can afford, and real opportunity."

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