‘No more Trump!’: Protesters denounce the President, unite across the country

They were teachers and lawyers, military veterans and fired government employees. Children and grandmothers, students and retirees.

Arriving in droves across the country in major cities and small towns, they appeared in costumes, blared music, brandished signs, hoisted American flags and cheered at the honks of passing cars.

The vibe in most places was irreverent but peaceful and family-friendly. The purpose, however, was focused. Each crowd, everywhere, shared the same mantra: No kings.

Collectively, the daylong mass demonstration against the Trump administration on Saturday, held in thousands of locations, condemned a president that the protesters view as acting like a monarch.

Many had attended a similar event in June, but the crowds this time included a new round of protesters — those who said they were outraged over immigration raids, the deployment of federal troops in cities, government layoffs and steep budget cuts.

Many were also united in saying the administration needed to show basic humanity.

“We can argue and debate policies and ways that we can solve problems,” said Chris Scharman, a lawyer who attended a rally in Salt Lake City. “But we shouldn’t be debating the value of people.”

In major metropolitan areas, like Washington, D.C., the crowds were huge. A rally in Atlanta that drew thousands at one point covered three city blocks. A protest in San Francisco poured across five. One rally in Chicago stretched over 22. Officials in New York said that more than 100,000 people demonstrated across all five boroughs of the city.

“No more Trump!” the crowd in Times Square chanted as they waved American flags.

Known as No Kings Day, the events were scheduled at roughly 2,600 sites across all 50 states. They were organized by national and local groups and well-known progressive coalitions including Indivisible, 50501 and MoveOn.

Republican leaders denounced the protests, calling the event the “hate America rally.” President Donald Trump’s political team trolled protesters on social media with AI-generated images of Trump wearing a crown.

When asked if the president had a comment on the demonstrations, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, gave a brief response in an email. “Who cares?” she said.

Although some rallies saw small groups of counterprotesters and a police presence, the mood at most was upbeat and festive.

Marilyn Ricken, 80, was in the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago, having arrived with three friends, two of whom relied on walkers to move around.

“This is how change happens,” she said as nearby protesters signed their names on a replica of the U.S. Constitution.