By Harshit, Washington, DC | October 19, 2025 7 AM EDT
Across the United States, millions of Americans turned out on Saturday for nationwide “No Kings” rallies, protesting what organizers describe as President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian” agenda and voicing concern over the state of democracy. The demonstrations, spread across more than 2,700 locations, were far larger than previous efforts in June, when roughly 5 million people took to the streets during Trump’s military parade in Washington.
For retired government worker Peggy Cole, the protests marked a personal milestone. Driving nearly 10 hours from her hometown of Flint, Michigan, Cole joined the rally in Washington, DC, to mark her 70th birthday. “It seems to me, (Trump is) taking our government, our democracy, and dismantling it piece by piece, slowly, but surely, if we sit by and don’t do anything about it,” she said.
Massive Turnout Across Major Cities
Organizers reported nearly 7 million participants nationwide, including over 100,000 in New York City. While large events dominated major urban centers, smaller rallies appeared in town squares, parks, and along busy thoroughfares in both red and blue states. Many participants emphasized peaceful protest, with demonstrators donning bright yellow—a symbol of unity and a nod to historic nonviolent movements.
Some protesters chose playful approaches to express their dissent, wearing costumes including lobsters, frogs, dinosaurs, unicorns, and Revolutionary War-era outfits. In Los Angeles, one attendee in a unicorn costume noted, “It’s really hard to call something a war zone, when you look at something and it’s just a block party and people in Halloween costumes.”
Protesters marched with American flags and signs opposing authoritarianism, ICE policies, and billionaires. Slogans like “This is what democracy looks like” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” rang through city streets.
Calls to Protect Democracy
Many attendees emphasized the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions. In Atlanta, Joan Press told CNN, “We’re a democracy. And that, in a democracy, people can stand up and voice their opinions. And that we are not going to be silenced.”
High-profile speakers addressed the Atlanta rally, including Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, who emphasized the power of the people over individuals in authority. “In this moment, in which we are seeing a president and an administration arrogating to himself power that doesn’t belong to him, our message is very clear. This is not about the people in power, it’s about the power in the people,” Warnock said.
Kimberly Diemert, communications director for the Georgia chapter of 50501, a decentralized movement organizing nationwide protests, highlighted Atlanta’s civil rights legacy. “Atlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement as well as democracy … we don’t want to lose that,” she told the crowd.
In New York, protesters voiced concerns about the erosion of rights under the Trump administration. One longtime participant said, “In the 60s we wanted to expand rights – women’s rights, gay rights, minority rights, voting rights. But all that’s being taken away now. Now our entire democracy is being threatened, the basic tenets, the press, the judiciary.”
Freedom of Expression and Safety
Attendees also focused on perceived threats to free speech. Bobbie Castillo, a first-time protester from Lincoln, Nebraska, said, “It doesn’t seem like we’re able to peacefully or safely express ourselves right now, without fear of repercussions.”
Science communicator Bill Nye, a featured speaker at the DC rally, warned against the suppression of dissent. “To them, our free speech is frightening. They are arresting people and denying due process in courts. They tried to silence television hosts,” he said.
While the rallies were largely peaceful, authorities reported isolated incidents, including a South Carolina woman arrested for brandishing a firearm near a protest and a man in Georgia seen taking a protester’s flag and shoving another participant. Organizers stressed nonviolent participation and had trained tens of thousands in safety and de-escalation techniques.
As demonstrations concluded across the nation, protesters expressed a unified message: the protection of democracy and the rule of law. For participants like Peggy Cole and countless others, the rallies were both a personal and civic statement in a time of heightened political tension.
