Photo: June 2025 "No Kings!" Rally. Boreal Community Media

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - October 21, 2025

Thousands of "No Kings!" rallies took place across the United States on Saturday, October 18, 2025, with organizers estimating participation from nearly 7 million people (over 2 million more than the June 2025 event) at over 2,700 events in all 50 states and cities worldwide. The demonstrations, which organizers described as a "next wave" of mobilization, were coordinated by a group to express opposition to what the movement terms "authoritarian overreach and billionaire influence" in the U.S. government, specifically focusing on the actions and policies of the current administration. The core message of the movement, which came at the same time as an ongoing government shutdown, is that "America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people," with participants gathering to "reclaim democracy" and reject what they call "fascism."

Large crowds were reported in both major cities and smaller towns across the US. In large cities, reports indicate over 100,000 demonstrators in Minneapolis and New York City's Times Square, as many as 250,000 people in Chicago's Grant Park, and an estimated 500,000 marchers in downtown San Francisco. Tens of thousands also gathered in Washington, D.C., and an estimated 40,000 people participated in Portland, Oregon. 

In smaller communities across northern Minnesota, there were reports of 5,000 people in Duluth, 1,300-1,400 in Grand Rapids, over 600 in Ely, 700 in Virginia, and 550 in Two Harbors. The local "No Kings" rally, organized by Arrowhead Indivisible and beginning at the Cook County Courthouse, was described as a "phenomenal success" by organizers, who stated that 1,500 people "pledged their support for our flag and our nation." 

According to the Associated Press, in most locations, the protests were reported to be peaceful, and in many places the atmosphere was characterized as a "street party" featuring marching bands and demonstrators wearing costumes. However, tensions did escalate late in the day in Portland outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, leading to federal agents firing tear gas to disperse a few hundred protesters and counterprotesters.

The demonstrations elicited divided reactions from political leaders. Some, including US Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), amongst other Democratic officials, joined the rallies. The Associated Press reports that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and other GOP leaders disparaged the demonstrations as "Hate America" rallies and suggested that the protests were driven by "communists" and "Marxists." 

President Trump reportedly responded to the event by telling Fox News that, "They say they're referring to me as a king. I’m not a king." Following the day of protests, President Trump shared an AI video to his Truth Social account that showed him wearing a crown and flying a jet labeled "King Trump" over crowds, dumping a brown liquid on the demonstrators.