‘No Kings’
Protests Spread Worldwide
in Cities Big and Small
Demonstrators gathered in big cities and small towns across the United States and abroad to protest President Trump’s policies, citing concerns over immigration, the war in Iran, and democratic norms.
In a Queens borough thruway, a line of protesters stretching multiple city blocks halted traffic, with a hand-painted Queen of Hearts sign reading “No Kings in Queens” at the front of the march; in Hoboken, a local folk singer performed Bob Dylan on a chilly Hudson River morning while an organizer led chants through a bullhorn; in London, bobblehead caricatures of the president, first lady, and vice president were held above a crowd whose signs referenced civilians killed in Iran — and across all of these locations simultaneously, the third major wave of a coordinated global protest movement called “No Kings” was underway, drawing retirees, musicians, elected officials, and community members in temperatures in the 30s and 40s, united by opposition to what they described as executive overreach by the Trump administration on immigration, foreign policy, and democratic institutions.
The “No Kings” coalition is structured as a decentralized network with no single figurehead, no singular policy demand, and no central organizing body. What exists instead is a loose confederation of activist groups that has now staged three nationwide protests in the span of ten months — each reportedly larger than the last.
The movement debuted on Presidents’ Day in February of last year. Its second major mobilization came in June, when President Trump ordered the military to stage a large birthday parade in Washington, D.C. — an event that organizers cited as a catalyst for increased turnout at counter-demonstrations. The third wave, in October, drew what organizers described as the largest crowds yet.
The “No Kings” coalition stages its first coordinated nationwide protest on Presidents’ Day, drawing initial crowds across the country.
Trump orders a military parade for his birthday in Washington. Organizers point to the event as a rallying symbol; turnout at counter-demonstrations increases significantly.
The October rallies report the highest attendance to date, with organizers describing it as the largest showing in the movement’s history.
Demonstrations span continents. Organizers expect hundreds of thousands in the U.S. alone, with parallel protests planned internationally.
The protests intentionally lack a single, specific demand — a strategic choice, organizers say, designed to draw in participants with a range of concerns rather than narrow the coalition around any one issue. The No Kings website features the Iran war and immigration raids most prominently among the listed grievances.
The demonstrations are taking place against a backdrop of several ongoing national issues. A continuing war in Iran has contributed to a global energy crisis, disrupted food supply chains, and sent stock markets lower. A partial government shutdown has left airport screening agents without paychecks, leading many to call out or resign and creating extended waits at security checkpoints. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers remain deadlocked over funding for immigration enforcement operations.
The White House responded critically to the planned protests. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a Thursday statement that “the only people who care about these Trump derangement therapy sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”
“They just keep pushing the limits every day to see how far they can take their regime — to see how much authority they can grab, until they can cancel our elections.”— Alan Reed, 72, Atlanta · attending the protest using a walker, rainbow flag over his back
The “No Kings” movement has built its coalition across a wide geographic and demographic range — from large urban centers to small rural communities, and from first-time demonstrators to longtime activists.
Protesters stretching multiple city blocks shut down a major thruway. A sign depicted the Queen of Hearts: “No Kings in Queens.” Blair Burroughs, a retired attorney, said the midterms would be the real measuring stick.
Immigration raids were the original focus, but this rally expanded its scope to the Iran war, the shutdown’s toll on air travel, and a Republican-backed bill to tighten voting rules.
Protesters gathered at Pier A on the Hudson. Folk singer Ed Fogarty played “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Organizer Noah Schwartz led chants: “We will not put up with ICE!”
Bobblehead caricatures of Trump, Vance, Musk, Miller, and Noem were carried through the crowd. Carmen Kingston held a sign reading “Minab Massacre,” referencing the strike that killed at least 175 in Iran.
A smaller gathering on Main Street. Protesters waved American flags as passing drivers honked in support.
Site of the highest-profile rally, featuring Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, and Jane Fonda at the State Capitol — a state where federal immigration enforcement operations drew significant attention over the winter.
Minnesota was the day’s marquee event. The state has become a focal point for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, and organizers scheduled the rally at the State Capitol in St. Paul to feature prominent performers and speakers.
Notable Appearances
- Bruce Springsteen — performing at the Minnesota Capitol rally, days before launching his “Land of Hopes and Dreams” protest tour at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 31.
- Joan Baez — the folk singer and activist, who was a prominent voice during Vietnam-era protest movements, performing at the St. Paul rally.
- Jane Fonda — actress and longtime activist, addressing the St. Paul crowd.
Springsteen’s “Land of Hopes and Dreams” tour, which he has billed as a protest tour, is set to begin at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 31 — three days after the rally. The involvement of high-profile performers has drawn additional attention to the St. Paul event, though critics of the movement argue that celebrity participation does not reflect broader public sentiment.
“We will not stop our fun, our joy, our democracy. We will not put up with ICE!”— Noah Schwartz, organizer · Hoboken, New Jersey
In London, demonstrators carried signs referencing the Minab airstrike in Iran, which killed at least 175 people, most of them children. Carmen Kingston, a New Yorker who has lived in Britain for a decade, held a sign reading “Minab Massacre.” She described the war as connected to what she sees as “the erosion of democratic institutions, democratic guardrails and unaccountable violence” — framing the international demonstrations as a response not only to U.S. foreign policy but to a broader set of concerns about governance and accountability.
The “No Kings” movement’s decision to operate without a single demand has drawn both praise and criticism. Supporters argue it allows a broad coalition to remain intact; critics contend it makes the movement’s goals unclear and difficult to measure. Blair Burroughs, a retired attorney who marched in Queens, pointed to upcoming elections as a potential benchmark: “I think we’ll be able to judge where we are as a country by what happens in the midterms.” Whether sustained street-level mobilization translates into electoral outcomes is a question that political analysts on both sides of the debate continue to examine.
As the third round of “No Kings” demonstrations concludes, what is clear is that the coalition has expanded its geographic footprint, its roster of participants, and the breadth of concerns it represents — while the administration it targets has shown no indication of changing course; how the movement’s intentionally broad, leaderless structure translates into measurable political impact, if at all, remains an open question that organizers, critics, and observers alike say will likely be answered not in the streets, but at the ballot box.
