USA "No Kings": Nationwide protests against Trump
In the largest wave of protests against President Donald Trump's policies to date, people have taken to the streets across the USA. Organizers spoke of more than five million participants in over 2,100 cities on the day of Trump's military parade in Washington.
15.06.2025, 03:11
SDA
The demonstrations on Saturday ran under the slogan "No Kings". Participants accused Trump of authoritarianism and criticized his migration policy with large-scale deportation operations.
Tear gas in Los Angeles
The protests remained largely peaceful. However, the situation in the city center of Los Angeles heated up in the afternoon. Tear gas was used at a government building to push back demonstrators. According to the police, stones and bottles were thrown from the crowd. Several protesters were arrested in New York, as reported by CNN. In the state of Minnesota, the protest was called off following attacks on two Democratic Party politicians.
Meanwhile, Trump organized a military parade in Washington on Saturday. The occasion is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army. But it is also the US President's 79th birthday. According to polls, a large proportion of the US population is against the parade. In Trump's Republican Party, on the other hand, it meets with approval.
"This is what democracy looks like"
Thousands of demonstrators braved the rain at the anti-Trump protests in New York. According to initial estimates by the organizers, 200,000 people took to the streets. They repeatedly chanted: "This is what democracy looks like" and demanded Trump's ouster, as reported by a dpa reporter. Many signs criticized the work of the ICE immigration police, with some bearing inscriptions such as: "If I want a dictator, I'll ask my cat."
Large crowds could also be seen on TV in cities such as Atlanta, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. In the coastal city of Santa Monica, which borders directly on Los Angeles, a dpa reporter observed several thousand demonstrators. The atmosphere was good, music was played over loudspeakers. The cry "Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go" could be heard again and again. More rarely, slogans such as "Fuck ICE" could also be heard. The ICE authority had come under fire for its raids and arrests.
"We don't allow dictators"
In the West Coast metropolis of San Francisco and in the neighboring city of Oakland, thousands of people took to the streets in blue-sky protests. At Ocean Beach, an urban beach in San Francisco, hundreds of demonstrators lined up to form the words "NO KING!" in the sand in oversized capital letters.
Celebrities also marched along. Actor Mark Ruffalo, known for his role as the Hulk in the Marvel films, was among those in New York. Actresses Glenn Close, Anna Kendrick and Tessa Thompson posted videos of the protests on their Instagram accounts. TV presenter Jimmy Kimmel demonstrated with his parents in San Francisco wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Make America Good Again" - a reference to the maga slogan of Trump supporters.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said at a rally, "We are here to remind our country that this is a democracy. No kings allowed," the politician chanted. "We don't allow dictators in a democracy." The mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie, had previously called for peaceful protests. Lurie warned that violence and destructive actions would not be tolerated.
"Refuse Fascism"
In Florida, protesters were stopped by police on their way to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. No "No-Kings" events were planned in the capital Washington, but the "Refuse Fascism" coalition organized a smaller demonstration. In Miami, meanwhile, there was a counter-demonstration in which participants congratulated Trump on his birthday, as reported by NBC.
In Los Angeles, members of the National Guard deployed by Trump emphasized: "We are here to protect buildings and officials - and the First Amendment right to assemble." They showed understanding for the fact that residents of the city are annoyed by their presence.
