In the USA, on October 18, mass protests under the slogan "No Kings" are taking place in all states against the policies of President Donald Trump.
Points of attention
- Mass protests under the slogan No Kings are happening in all 50 US states, aiming to defend democratic values and oppose the authoritarian course of President Trump.
- Organizers emphasize the peaceful nature of the protests, with millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds joining in to showcase a broad coalition standing up for democratic principles.
- Protesters accuse the administration of creating an increasingly militarized and authoritarian regime, highlighting concerns over mass immigration raids and troop deployment to Democratic-led states.
US citizens protest against Trump's policies
More than 2,500 rallies and marches are planned across all 50 US states, with organizers estimating that millions of people will participate.
Protest organizers accuse the president of creating an “increasingly militarized and authoritarian regime.” In particular, the outrage has been caused by mass immigration raids and the deployment of troops to Democratic-led states. Protesters say their goal is to show peaceful resistance to the Trump administration.
The first protests began at 10 a.m. Eastern Time in Atlanta, New York, Washington, and Chicago.
Ahead of the protests, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent an advisory to local law enforcement agencies warning of the potential for violence to escalate at certain events. However, the document notes that the agency "has no information about specific or credible threats."
The ministry advised police to “pay attention to participants with a history of using peaceful protests for violent actions” and those “who have undergone paramilitary-like training.”
The Indivisible Project, which is coordinating the “No Kings” protests, emphasizes that they are “exclusively peaceful.” The protests are designed to showcase “a broad coalition of Americans of all ages and backgrounds” who stand up for democratic values and oppose “the administration’s authoritarian course.”
Republicans have been vocal in their criticism of the protests, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying the rallies "helped to bring about a government shutdown."
President Donald Trump said in a commentary on Fox Business that Democrats are “deliberately delaying the government funding talks because of these protests.” “Some say they want to delay (this issue) because of the king… It’s not the king… They call me the king. I’m not him,” Trump said.
The current wave of protests is the second this year. The first took place in June, when organizers estimated that about five million Americans took to the streets during a military parade in Washington.
At the time, participants opposed a number of administration initiatives, including the abolition of birthright citizenship, restrictions on the rights of transgender people, repression of student protests, and cuts to equality and inclusion programs.
