Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests‌ Sweep nation, Countering Trump’s Military Parade

Updated⁣ June⁤ 17, 2025

Millions of people participated in “No Kings” protests across the‍ nation Saturday, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington,‌ D.C. While most demonstrations remained peaceful, some arrests occurred, and police ‍intervened to manage unruly crowds in cities like Atlanta ‌and Los Angeles.

In Texas, ⁢authorities temporarily shut down the Texas Capitol ⁤in Austin following a credible⁤ threat⁣ against state lawmakers expected to attend a planned protest. The texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)​ evacuated the building and grounds, according​ to KXAN.

The DPS later apprehended an individual during a traffic stop in ‌La ‌Grange and reopened the Capitol grounds around 5 p.m. CDT, ⁢the scheduled start⁤ time for the protest.‌ Details about the suspect and any charges were not immediately ‍released.

In Atlanta, members of the far-right‍ Proud Boys group were present at the city’s protest, identifiable by their black and yellow attire.

Georgia police made at least eight arrests after protesters entered a roadway in DeKalb County, WSB-TV reported. hundreds had gathered to protest⁢ near Chamblee Tucker Road and began marching toward Interstate 285. When the crowd failed ‌to comply with orders to return to‍ the sidewalk, police deployed tear gas.

Two motorists were arrested in separate incidents for driving into protesters, according to ‌ The Guardian. In San Francisco, at ⁢least ‌four protesters sustained non-life-threatening injuries ⁢when a driver allegedly struck them. The motorist was detained. In Culpeper, Va., Joseph Checklick Jr., 21, was arrested on reckless driving charges following an​ incident that resulted in no injuries.

Organizers scheduled approximately 1,500 “No Kings” protests nationwide, coinciding with President Trump’s military parade celebrating⁤ the U.S.⁣ Army’s 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday.

The protests, ‌spanning all 50 ⁢states and commonwealths, represented “the largest single-day ⁢mobilization⁢ since President⁣ Trump returned to office,” according to the organizers’ website. The 50501 Movement, a key organizer, aimed for peaceful demonstrations.

“The ⁤’No Kings’ mobilization⁤ is a direct response to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing $100 million military parade and birthday celebration,” the website stated, criticizing the event’s funding amid budget constraints for social programs.

The protests were organized by a coalition of over 200 organizations, including the American Civil ⁢Liberties‌ Union, the ⁣American Federation of Teachers,​ and the Communications Workers of America. ⁢They‌ began after Trump’s second inauguration on Jan. 20, ⁢triggered by various administration ⁤policies.

In New York, an estimated 50,000 protesters marched‌ on Fifth Avenue, from Bryant Park to Madison Square Park, according to an NYPD spokesperson speaking to WNBC-TV. No arrests or importent incidents were reported.

“Real ‌power looks like ⁤the thousands of ​people that are going to gather here in Bryant Park ⁤and stand up to their neighbors⁣ and for their communities,” ‌50501 organizer Hannan Strauss told CNN.

In Chicago, thousands filled​ the streets around Daley Plaza and marched⁤ to Trump Tower, chanting slogans against Trump’s policies.

Events in Minnesota, including Minneapolis, ⁢ were canceled after the shooting ⁤of State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband,Mark,and State ⁤Sen. John Hoffman and ⁢his wife, Yvette. ​However, several thousand⁤ people gathered in St. Paul.

Despite high temperatures, protesters demonstrated at the ‍Arizona state Capitol ‍in Phoenix.

In⁤ Florida, over ‍75 protests took place, including one near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, where demonstrators were met⁢ by Trump supporters. Gov. Ron DeSantis stated the‍ state was prepared to “quell any violence” ⁣at the events.

The protests occurred across the country,except in Washington,D.C., “to‍ draw a clear ⁢contrast between our people-powered movement and‌ the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade,” ⁢according to organizers.

“We’re showing up everywhere he isn’t — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings,” the website stated. Trump responded to the protests by saying, “I don’t feel like a king. I have to‌ go through hell​ to ‍get stuff approved.”

In the nation’s⁤ first capital, Philadelphia, an estimated 80,000 people protested along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, according to a⁣ Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson speaking‍ to WCAU-TV.

In Los Angeles, protests against immigration arrests have continued for a ‍week. some protesters threw ⁣objects at police, who responded with chemical irritants to disperse the crowd ahead of ‍a nightly⁢ curfew.

The Los Angeles Police department issued dispersal‌ orders in downtown and authorized the use of less-lethal munitions. An estimated 25,000 people participated in the ‍Los Angeles protest, carrying a large copy of ⁢the‍ Constitution, KCBS-TV reported. A 20-foot balloon depicting Trump wearing a‌ diaper was also present.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell announced that a nightly curfew‌ would remain in effect​ through the ‌weekend. Trump has nationalized California’s National Guard, despite opposition from⁢ Gov. ‍Gavin‍ Newsom.

What’s next

Organizers plan to continue mobilizing against the Trump administration’s policies, focusing on grassroots activism and building⁣ coalitions to challenge what they view as authoritarian tendencies.