No Kings Protests: What to Anticipate at Saturday’s Nationwide Marches

Millions of demonstrators are poised to flood streets across the United States this Saturday, according to organizers, in a sweeping show of opposition to President Trump's policies. Dubbed the No Kings movement, this coalition of progressive groups charges that the president is acting more like an autocrat than a democratically elected leader.

Saturday's actions mark the second major mobilization by No Kings, building on the momentum of their June uprising against Trump's broader agenda.

Demonstrators brandish signs along a bustling street at the No Kings national rally in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2025.

Politics: Organizers Anticipate Record Crowds for Weekend Demonstrations

No Kings' website recounts their June triumph: "We achieved the unthinkable—peacefully rallying millions to the streets, united in proclaiming: America has No Kings."

Those earlier gatherings erupted in response to a lavish military parade celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, which doubled as a nod to Trump's 79th birthday. Detractors lambasted the spectacle as less a tribute to the military and more a personal ego boost for the commander-in-chief.

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The group accuses Trump of escalating his overreach since then. Their grievances span masked ICE agents conducting immigration sweeps, deep cuts to federal funding for education and environmental safeguards, gerrymandering tactics, and more.

Crowds assemble in Houston for a No Kings nationwide demonstration. (The Picture Show: Photos: See No Kings protests around the country)

No Kings pegged June's participation at over 5 million strong. They're forecasting an even larger swell this weekend, with events slated in cities from coast to coast.

Backlash from the Right

House Speaker Mike Johnson branded the protests a "hate America rally," while fellow Republicans dismissed them as unpatriotic rabble-rousing.

White House press secretary Abigail Jackson shrugged off NPR inquiries with a curt: "Who cares?"

In preemptive moves, Republican governors are ramping up security. Virginia's Glenn Youngkin and Texas' Greg Abbott have activated their states' National Guards.

Youngkin's office told VPM: "The Governor has authorized state active duty for training to help ensure the Guard will be ready to respond if needed to help keep people safe," per spokesman Peter Finocchio.

National Guard troops intercept protesters amid an ICE raid at a cannabis farm near Camarillo, California, on July 10.

Texas Gov. Abbott echoed the tough stance in a statement covered by The Texas Newsroom: "Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas. Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property."

Trump, meanwhile, has linked rising crime to immigration issues, further intertwining Guard deployments with his border rhetoric.

A Call for Peaceful Unity

Connecticut organizer Jim Chapdelaine, speaking to Connecticut Public on Tuesday, stressed the protests' nonviolent ethos and the vital role of public engagement.

"There are powers that be that would prefer we all just stay at our houses and, I don't know, take up crochet," Chapdelaine quipped. "It's really important to build community and solidarity and unity—and especially important to do that in a very peaceful way."