‘No Kings’ protests against Trump on October 18: What you need to know

Millions of protesters will gather across the United States on Saturday, October 18, for the next round of No Kings protests against the Trump administration and what protesters describe as its authoritarian governing style. Currently, some 2,500 events are confirmed in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several cities around the world, making it one of the largest coordinated protest movements in U.S. history.

Participation is expected to surpass the five million people who joined the June protests, which spanned 2,200 events across the country. The co-founder of the Indivisible organization, Ezra Levin, told NBC News that he anticipates “the largest protest in modern American history on Oct. 18,” adding that the scale of the turnout will send a message not only to the administration but also to Democratic lawmakers.

Demonstrations are scheduled in major cities across the United States, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Portland and Chicago, where the National Guard is currently deployed on Trump’s orders. Events are also planned in smaller communities across the country, in parks, courthouses and public squares. Marches and solidarity events have also been organized in other countries including Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

‘No Kings’

The No Kings movement began earlier this year, at the start of the second Trump administration, in response to what organizers describe as President Trump’s authoritarian behavior and abuse of power. The protests are organized by a broad coalition of labor, civil rights, and activist groups, including 50501, Indivisible, MoveOn, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The first No Kings protests took place on June 14, coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary parade of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. The demonstrations are part of a broader movement of monthly actions against the Trump administration. Previous mobilizations have included Hands Off in April, Free America on Independence Day, and Workers Over Billionaires on Labor Day.

Organizers say these new protests on October 18 are taking place due to growing frustration over the administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in several cities and the government shutdown that began on October 1. “Power belongs to the people,” the official protest website states. “This isn’t just about politics; it’s democracy versus dictatorship. Together we choose democracy.”

When and what time are the protests?

The demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday, October 18. Most begin around 10:00 a.m.

On the official website, there’s a map showing all the protest locations. Those looking to attend a demonstration can enter their zip code to find the nearest one.

The Republican Party’s response

Republican leaders have condemned the upcoming protests and accuse Democrats and liberal organizations of using them as political theater during the government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the marches a “hate America rally” and claimed they would draw “the pro-Hamas wing” and “the antifa people.” A couple of weeks ago, the administration designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. In 2020, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray defined Antifa before Congress as an ideology rather than a formal organization.

Other Republican leaders, such as Deputy Majority Leader Tom Emmer and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, claimed the protests were designed to distract people from the congressional shutdown. The administration and Republicans have blamed Democrats for the impasse, citing their demands to maintain Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire following Trump’s signature legislation. Republicans falsely claim this would provide free health coverage to undocumented immigrants.

White House press secretary Abigail Jackson said protesters may legally express their alternative reality, but that violence and lawlessness will not be tolerated. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas suggested that the National Guard might be needed to maintain order during the protests and questioned whether the marches would be peaceful.

In response, organizers have called the GOP rhetoric a political maneuver. “President Mike Johnson is running out of excuses to keep the government shut down,” the No Kings coalition said in a statement. “Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, he is attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully gathering to say that America belongs to its people, not kings.” Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, told Axios: “His attacks are an attempt to smear millions of Americans who are fed up with excessive authoritarianism.”

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