‘No Kings’ protests sweep NYC, nation for third time

Organizers predict the third round of nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations could be the largest single day of domestic political protest in American history, with more than 3,100 events registered across all 50 states.

In New York City, tens of thousands descended on Columbus Circle Saturday for a noon press conference before a mass march through Manhattan set for 2 p.m. Speakers at the event included New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Rev. Al Sharpton and actor Robert De Niro. More than 50 protests and marches were planned across the New York metro area, with additional events in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and northern New Jersey.

Organizers say more than 9 million people are expected to participate nationwide — a figure that would dwarf the second round of “No Kings” protests in October 2025, which drew more than 7 million Americans at more than 2,700 events. The inaugural demonstration last June drew a reported 5 million participants.

The national flagship event was held at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, a location organizers selected in recognition of the state where federal agents fatally shot two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, while monitoring the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Bruce Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” a protest anthem he wrote in response to the two deaths. Minnesota organizers told state officials they expected up to 100,000 people at the Capitol grounds, where the June 2025 event drew an estimated 80,000. The St. Paul rally also featured singer Joan Baez, actress Jane Fonda and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Saturday’s marches come as President Trump faces increasing scrutiny over the war with Iran, rising gas prices and the administration’s mass deportation agenda, according to NBC News. In Washington, D.C., hundreds of marchers moved past the Lincoln Memorial and onto the National Mall. Demonstrations were also held in Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and West Palm Beach, Florida, where protesters planned a march toward the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

In Southern California, local volunteers and organizations scheduled 41 rallies and marches throughout Los Angeles County alone. Ahead of the demonstrations, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol installed large metal swing gates on Los Angeles Street ramps along the 101 Freeway early Friday morning to prevent protesters from accessing the roadway, as demonstrators have repeatedly shut down freeway traffic around downtown Los Angeles in previous years.

The White House dismissed the rallies. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support, saying the only people who cared about what she called “Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions” were reporters assigned to cover them. The National Republican Congressional Committee also condemned the events, with spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole calling them “Hate America Rallies” where the “far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone.”

Organizers said Saturday’s day of action was spurred by a combination of economic and foreign policy concerns. “Since the last No Kings [protests], we’re seeing higher gas prices and groceries, all while there’s an illegal war in Iran,” Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the group 50501, told reporters Thursday on a press call previewing the events.