Demonstrators across the U.S. participated in the second wave of 'No Kings' protests on October 18, 2025, targeting President Donald Trump's administration amid an 18-day government shutdown. Organizers reported over 2,600 events in all 50 states, expecting turnout to exceed the 5 million from June's rallies. Republicans criticized the events as 'hate America' gatherings, while protesters emphasized peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights.
The 'No Kings' movement, a network of progressive organizations, held its second national day of action on Saturday, protesting what participants described as Trump's authoritarian power grabs, including immigration enforcement, federal budget cuts, and military deployments to cities. The June 14 protests, coinciding with a military parade for the Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday, drew over 5 million people nationwide and were mostly peaceful, except for one incident in Utah where a volunteer peacekeeper shot and killed a bystander.
This weekend's events unfolded amid heightened tensions from the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 18th day. In Washington, D.C., over 200,000 people rallied on Pennsylvania Avenue and in front of the U.S. Capitol. Speakers included Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who warned that Trump's actions endangered democracy, decrying attacks on the media, higher education, and a proposed bill that could strip health care from 10 million people. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) criticized Republican efforts to suppress turnout, saying, 'They’re showing us how much they hate free speech.' At the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) highlighted disruptions to cancer trials, stating, 'People are hurting and some people are dying because of the actions of President Trump.'
In New York City's Times Square, at least 100,000 protesters marched, carrying signs like 'No crowns, No kings' and 'ICE melts faster under pressure.' Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed a crowd, declaring, 'We will not bend, we will not bow, we will not cower, we will not submit to the authoritarianism that is coming down!' Other rallies occurred in Atlanta, Montclair, New Jersey, and cities like Portland and Austin.
Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, labeled the protests a 'hate America rally' and tied them to groups like antifa and Hamas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard to Austin, stating, 'Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas.' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin mobilized troops, emphasizing zero tolerance for violence. President Trump told Fox News, 'They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to inquiries with, 'Who cares?'
Organizers like Leah Greenberg of Indivisible called Republican attacks a 'broader effort to create a permission structure to crack down' on protests, adding, 'They are panicking and they are flailing.' Deirdre Schifeling of the ACLU defended the events as 'the most patriotic and American thing you can do.' The protests remained overwhelmingly peaceful, with participants focusing on issues like immigration detentions and slashed federal resources.
