Organizers are planning more than 2,500 rallies across the United States to celebrate free speech and protest many of the Trump administration’s actions.
Protesters across the country gathered in more than 2,500 locations today to protest against President Donald Trump, in what organizers predict will be the largest single-day protest in modern American history.
Organizers say the protest aims to broadly celebrate free speech, the right to assembly and the First Amendment. Organizers say they also want to push back against recent moves by the Trump administration, including increasing immigration enforcement, sending troops to some Democratic-controlled cities, making major changes to America’s health care system and eroding First Amendment rights.
“I think what you’ll see at No Kings II in October is a loud, fun crowd expressing their political opinions in a peaceful and fun way. People with dogs, people with kids, people with funny signs, music, dancing, laughter, community building, and the collective elation that comes when a lot of people come together with a common purpose,” Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin told USA TODAY.
Republicans in Washington have accused the protesters of not only prolonging the government shutdown, but also of hating the United States, being terrorists, or belonging to Antifa, a loose anti-fascist group. Organizers stress that tens of thousands of local activists have undergone safety and de-escalation training to ensure these protests are as safe as several other large demonstrations held this year.
Be sure to follow USA TODAY for updates throughout the day.
In progress: 18 days into the government shutdown, with no end in sight. live updates
Over the past two weeks, Republicans in Congress and some Cabinet members have criticized the rallies as a reason why Democrats won’t join Republicans in voting to reopen the government.
On Friday, Republican leaders began mischaracterizing who would attend the rally.
Chairman Mike Johnson, in a Friday press conference, re-dubbed the protest, which brought together “Marxists, socialists, Antifa supporters, anarchists, and pro-Hamas factions of the far-left Democratic Party,” the “Hate America” rally.
At the same press conference, Republican Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan said there would be a “mob of extremists.”
“You’ll see mobs of extremists at Hate America rallies this weekend. You’ll see them all over the country. These are the same activists who pressured Democrats to shut down the government, to hurt you, to divide us, to push far-left agendas,” she said. “When you see these images, remember this: Democrats aren’t fighting for you. They’re not fighting for our troops. They’re not fighting for the hardworking moms in our streets. They’re fighting for the most radical voices in America, and they’re going to make sure they own it.”
Democrats are refusing to reopen the government because they want to reverse Republican Medicaid cuts and save tax credits that millions of lower- and middle-class Americans rely on to pay for health insurance.
Organizers have questioned why Republicans are lying about who will be participating in the protests.
“These protests are peaceful, disciplined, and based in solidarity. That’s what they’re afraid of, that’s what we’re all about, and that’s what we’re going to show on October 18th,” said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible. Indivisible is also one of the organizers.
Greenberg questioned why Republicans would inaccurately label protesters in a way that could potentially lead to violence.
“I want to ask Republicans that question: Why would they incite and denigrate millions of ordinary Americans, teachers, veterans, members of faith communities? Why would they create this kind of incitement directed at people who are peacefully protesting and exercising their rights?” she said.
Rallies will begin at different times across the country, starting at 10 a.m. ET and running until 7:30 p.m. ET.
Here are the start times for the most active rallies:
- Atlanta – Scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET
- New York City – Scheduled to start at 11 a.m. local time
- DC and Boston – Scheduled to start at noon local time
- Chicago – Scheduled to start at noon local time
- Bozeman, Montana – Scheduled to start at noon local time
- Kansas City – Scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. local time
- New Orleans – Scheduled to start at 3:30 local time
- SAN FRANCISCO – It is scheduled to begin at 1:30 local time and last for three hours.
President Donald Trump is visiting Palm Beach, Florida this weekend during a rally. He currently plays golf, and his weekend began with a dinner at the Mar-a-Lago club and residence that was reported to cost $1 million a plate.
Several protests are planned for Sunday in Palm Beach. Reporters traveling with Trump said there were no signs of protests during the trip from his Mar-a-Lago home to the golf course.
Despite political rhetoric characterizing demonstrators as aligned with terrorist forces, protest organizers trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and promised the day would be safe.
“This protest is not a threat to national security, as ridiculously claimed,” said Robert Wiseman, co-director of Public Citizen, which is part of several groups coordinating the rally. “Protesting is a sign of our freedom…It’s what has made our country strong for 250 years.”
more: What makes protests violent? Experts point to police aggression and deep anger
Protests are a hallmark of America, but history has shown that they are not always without violence, from the clashes of the 1960s demanding equality and an end to war to the nationwide riots of the 2010s and early 2020s denouncing police brutality.
What causes protests to turn violent? Experts say multiple factors may be contributing, including deep-seated dissatisfaction with social conditions, lack of organization, excessive law enforcement, and clashes with counterprotesters.
“Once they start getting violent, they move quickly,” said Brian Higgins, a former police chief and now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York. “It’s like arson to start a fire, and it’s very difficult to get the group back under control.”
‘No to the King’s Protest’ organizers prepare for demonstrations across the country
“No Kings” demonstrations against the Trump administration are scheduled to take place in more than 2,500 locations across the United States on October 18th.
More than 2,500 events are scheduled in large cities, suburbs and small towns across the country, far fewer than the 1,800 planned before the June 14 protests of the same name. Large protests are planned outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, Atlanta, Kansas City, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans and Bozeman, Montana.
Since March, activists have consistently planned same-day protests across the country. Most are planned by local activists representing their communities.
A flash mob is planned in Columbus, Ohio, reenacting scenes from the TV series “Les Misérables.” Protests are expected outside President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Inflatable costumes, which have been a feature of protests in Portland, Oregon, in recent weeks, are expected to appear in large numbers.
Craig Brown, 72, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, told USA TODAY that a local group put up signs advertising the protests because they wanted to reach people who had never protested before.
“We know that a lot of people are sitting in their living rooms, so scared, so scared right now, watching the news through their fingers with their heads in their hands,” Brown said. “These are the people we’re trying to talk to. We’re trying to get them out of their homes, off their couches, and make their voices heard.”
He said the event at Federation Square in Sioux Falls will feature speakers, but he doesn’t mind if people just want to hang out in traffic and wave signs or make a fuss.
“We’re not here to tell them how to protest,” Brown said. “We always try to recognize that people need to release their emotions, anger and contempt, so we never try to stifle it in any way.”
Indivisible’s Levin said organizers are calling for a day of action with “breadth, not depth” with many smaller protests rather than one giant protest.
“To me, the importance of having a big, major national event is far less important than having every American citizen only have about an hour’s drive to their local event,” he said. “We want people to feel like this is everywhere, not just people who can afford to take a weekend vacation or travel to Washington, D.C. or other cities.”
Groups organizing the “No King” protests include the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Common Defense, 50501, Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible, League of Conservative Voters, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Public Citizen, SEIU, and United We Dream.
Most of the smaller protests have been led by local activists, labor unions, and grassroots groups like 50501, which formed after Election Day 2024.
“Every rally, every march, every community rally is planned by local organizers,” said Sarah Parker, 50501 national coordinator and Voice of Florida executive director. “They are exercising their God-given right to assemble and rising up in this moment because, like generations before us, they feel it is not only their duty, but their duty, to willingly and peacefully resist authoritarianism.”
The name “No Kings” stems from organizers’ belief that President Trump is behaving more like a monarch than a democratic leader.
Today is the second day of “No King”. The first event was held on June 14, coinciding with President Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day, with a military parade in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military.
“We expect it to be much bigger,” Levin said. “There are more events planned for October 18th than there were on No Kings Day in June. So if all goes well, it will be the largest peaceful protest in modern American history.”
