Politics "No Kings": Mass protests against Trump in the USA again
From New York to Texas: Mass protests against President Donald Trump and his policies have once again taken place in the USA. Demonstrations took place across the country under the slogan "No Kings". On Saturday evening (local time), the organizers spoke of almost seven million participants in more than 2,700 cities and towns - around two million more than at the most recent mass protest in June. The movement accuses Trump of acting in an authoritarian manner. "The president believes his power is absolute," it says on its website. "But in America, we don't have kings."
19.10.2025, 02:43
SDA
According to media reports, the protests were peaceful until the evening. The broadcaster CNN reported an incident in the state of South Carolina in which a woman is said to have driven past a protest with a gun drawn; she was reportedly arrested.
Trump himself told Fox News: "They call me a king. I'm not a king." He has repeatedly accused protesters of being prepared to use violence. There have been repeated protests in recent weeks, particularly against his migration policy. There have also been clashes in some cases. Opponents accuse the Republican president of deliberately fuelling escalation and wanting to normalize the use of the military against dissenters. Several Democratic-governed cities and states are taking legal action against the deployment of the National Guard in their communities.
Protests have increased significantly since Trump took office in January. Various groups now also appear to be increasingly organizing among themselves: Quite a few initiatives are uniting under the umbrella of "No Kings". At the same time, it is a challenge to bundle the many different concerns.
New York
Protests took place in several locations in New York City; according to the police, more than 100,000 people took part peacefully. A protest organizer in Times Square said that the crowd filled the street south to Union Square - in other words, for several kilometers.
Participants expressed concern about the state of US democracy. "We are at the tipping point to fascism," said a young woman named Meg. 93-year-old Stephanie explained that she had already protested against the Vietnam War and had lived through many presidents, "but this one is so bad that we have to do something". The artist Michael said that the powerful in the USA - white men - deliberately set people of different origins, skin color and sexuality against each other in order to maintain their own political power.
Colorful, inflatable costumes were conspicuous in New York as elsewhere. "I want to disprove the narrative that we are dangerous or violent," said Michelle, who was dressed as a bunny. "We defend our country with joy."
Pennsylvania
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, thousands of people gathered in the city center. Participants sang the song "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" by Fred Rogers - known from a children's show that was produced in Pittsburgh and influenced generations. With the gesture, they wanted to send a signal for cohesion and community and against fear and violence - especially with regard to the rights of migrants, it was said. US flags flew above the crowd, many of the demonstrators were dressed as "kings", while the organizers declared: "Nothing is more patriotic than peaceful dissent."
Two issues took center stage in Pittsburgh: an initiative to tighten gun laws that failed in September and the upcoming local elections in early November. "Protests alone are not enough - now action must follow: You have to vote," said one participant. Another added: "Many people will hopefully realize this when they feel it in their own wallets due to rising healthcare costs." While the city itself is considered a Democratic stronghold, many surrounding counties are firmly in Republican hands.
Washington and Maryland
In the US capital Washington, where thousands took to the streets, many federal workers are currently on furlough or have already been laid off as a result of the partial government shutdown. CNN quoted one protester as saying that he had worked in the public sector for 20 years - and that the Trump administration was about to destroy it.
Numerous demonstrators also gathered in the affluent areas surrounding the capital. In Bethesda, Maryland, they stood along Connecticut Avenue with signs, pennants and posters. Drivers honked their horns in approval. A woman in a rooster costume held a sign that read "We don't need royal decrees" - presumably a reference to the numerous decrees that Trump wants to use to enforce his policies.
Massachusetts
In Boston, Massachusetts, numerous people gathered in the centrally located Boston Common Park. Placards read: "No to autocracy, yes to democracy" or "Hands off our neighbors". From a stage, someone shouted "Resist - No Kings", to which the crowd shouted "No Kings" back in chorus.
California
At a large intersection in the small Californian town of Truckee, the protest by several thousand people was colorful, peaceful - and accompanied by loud honking. In Tahoe City, a little further south, demonstrator Glenna said she was tired of being insulted by Trump: "He dehumanizes and labels us as un-American," she added. "We need to protect migrants." Without them, nothing would work in a tourist area like Lake Tahoe.
Florida and Texas
In Sarasota, Florida, Jackie was one of many demonstrators. The 33-year-old took part with her two young children and described the atmosphere on the phone as "very positive". She wanted to teach her daughter and son that protests are "a normal part of American life". Among other things, she advocates for the protection of public health, she said - she works in this area and is concerned that compulsory vaccination in schools is being abolished in her state.
According to local media, hundreds of people also gathered in El Paso in the state of Texas. A sign above a picture of Trump read: "The poor old mad king doesn't understand: democracy, the rule of law and the separation of powers."
