Version imprimableWhat were we protesting against? According to the protestors’ signs, chants, and comments, people are angry about the cruel and violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, about Trump’s dispatching the National Guard and active military units to several cities, about the firing of hundreds of thousands of federal workers from their jobs, about the attacks on health, education and housing programs, and about the suppression of free speech and academic freedom, and about the racism of policies, such Trump’s changes in the refugee program to favor white people.
No Kings is organized by a coalition of 200 groups, the most important being Democratic Party groups like Indivisible and MoveOn, NGOS like Public Citizen and the American Civil Liberties Union, and activist network 50501. The latter sparked the broad resistance movement with its call several months ago for 50 protests in 50 states on one day.
Trump, Vice-president J.D. Vance, and other Republicans have claimed preposterously that the rallies and marches are filled with paid protestors, paid by George Soros, the Jewish billionaire and liberal philanthropist and Democrat. They suggest the protests are organized by “antifa,” a nickname for the broad antifascist movement, which they claim is a violent terrorist organization, though there is no such organization. Asked about the demonstrations, Trump’s spokeswoman said, “Who cares? The rest of America will be watching college football.” But the president couldn’t ignore them and he posted an AI-generated video of himself as a fighter pilot wearing a crown, flying over the demonstrations and dumping shit on them, a demonstration of the contempt in which he holds the American people.
People carried banners and signs reading “No kings, No tyrants.” “In demonstrations everywhere people chanted, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” Everywhere the demonstrations were peaceful, and while those protesting were angry, the rallies often had a celebratory character, celebrating being together in the resistance and fighting for progressive values. While the protests were serious, some also made sure that they were fun. Some protestors, imitating recent demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, dressed up in much larger-than-life animal costumes, the kind that one sees at children’s parties, intended to show how ridiculous it was to claim that these were terrorists’ violent protests.
For decades the left shunned the American flag, seeing it as a symbol of racism at home and the U.S. wars against Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But now many protestors fly the flag, reclaiming America for democracy and social justice. One protestor carried a sign saying “Make America America Again,” with a list of what he saw as American values: Free Speech, Science, Free Press, Rule of Law, Democracy, Choice (meaning the right of women to choose abortion), Due Process, and Diversity.
No Kings was a success, but we need a more militant movement, one with strikes and disruptive protests that can really challenge Trump’s aggressive attacks on our rights and our welfare. [2]
19 October 2025
