More Than 7 Million Americans Join 2,700 ‘No Kings’ Protests vs. Trump

Huge crowds marched in major cities, while smaller gatherings were held across the country for “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump.

Saturday’s demonstrations set a powerful tone for the nationwide movement. (Photo: Victor Grigas, Wikimedia Commons) 

Organizers said about 7 million people joined more than 2,700 events in all 50 states, which police described as mostly peaceful, Rebekah Riess, Alaa Elassar, Tori B. Powell, Zoe Sottile, Emma Tucker, and Danya Gainor reported for CNN.

Many large cities reported no protest-related incidents or arrests.

Demonstrators voiced outrage at a range of Trump administration policies, but several key themes took center stage — including perceived threats to democracy, ICE raids and troop deployments in U.S. cities, and cuts to federal programs, particularly health care.

Nearly 7 million protesters turned out — about 2 million more than in June, according to organizers.

In Chicago, the epicenter of Trump’s immigration crackdown, thousands rallied with homemade signs and “Hands Off Chicago” posters, waving upside-down American flags along with a few Mexican and Pride flags.

Protesters told CNN that immigration raids, cuts to Medicaid, and other administration policies were among their reasons for demonstrating Saturday.

In Los Angeles, demonstrators in inflatable costumes waving American flags filled the streets in a rebuttal to the president’s depiction of protests.

“I think it’s really hard to call something a war zone when you look at it and it’s just a block party and people in Halloween costumes,” one protester told CNN.

In Washington, D.C., current and former federal employees took to Pennsylvania Avenue on Day 18 of the government shutdown, rallying for calmer political rhetoric.

One furloughed worker told CNN she was losing sleep over worries about her job and paying bills.

In New York City, crowds of protesters stretched for several blocks as marches moved toward Lower Manhattan. One demonstrator, who said she has been protesting since the 1960s, held a sign reading: “We protest because we love America, and we want it back.”

In Atlanta, Georgia, protesters rallied to honor the city’s deep-rooted civil rights legacy.

Saturday’s demonstrations set a powerful tone for the nationwide movement — a peaceful but urgent call to protect democracy, reject hate, and continue the legacy of those who marched before.