People across the United States took to the streets Saturday for the latest “No Kings” demonstrations aimed at President Donald Trump, voicing concern about what organizers called democratic backsliding and authoritarian tendencies. A coalition of civil society groups said more than 3,100 rallies were registered nationwide, with over 3,000 events planned for the day.
In Washington, marchers crossed a bridge over the Potomac and gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of historic civil rights demonstrations. Protesters carried signs such as “Put down the crown, clown” and chanted slogans including “Trump Must Go Now!” and “Fight Fascism.”
In Atlanta, 36-year-old military veteran Marc McCaughey told AFP he believes the Constitution is “under threat in a multitude of different ways,” saying, “No country can govern without the consent of the people. Things aren’t normal. They aren’t okay.”
Coordinated demonstrations also took place in major European cities. In Germany, rallies were held in Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, and a few hundred people gathered in Berlin to protest actions by ICE, express worry about anti-democratic trends and call for the full release of the Epstein files. Police said hundreds joined the Munich demonstration. In Rome, marchers directed chants at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the failure of her government’s judicial reform referendum, warning of risks to judicial independence and calling for “a world free from wars,” while criticizing recent Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. In London, banners reading “Stop the far right” and “Stand up to Racism” were part of the broader international mobilization.
The White House dismissed the rallies, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson calling them the product of “leftist funding networks” and suggesting they lacked broad public support. The National Republican Congressional Committee also criticized the demonstrations.
Saturday’s events marked the third round of “No Kings” actions in less than a year, following nationwide protests in June and October. Organizers said several million people attended the previous two rounds and set a goal of more than 9 million participants across the country on Saturday.
The protests come amid growing public discontent over immigration policy, allegations of high-level corruption, the cost-of-living crisis and tensions related to Iran. Many Americans have expressed alarm at rising fuel prices in recent weeks after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran. With midterm elections approaching in November, Trump and Republican leaders face mounting pressure amid concerns they could lose control of one or both chambers of Congress.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic and Wesley Dockery