‘No Kings’ protests sweep NYC, nation for third time

Organizers predict the third round of national “No Kings” protests could be the largest day of domestic political protest in American history, with more than 3,100 events recorded in all 50 states.

In New York, tens of thousands of people descended on Columbus Circle on Saturday for a noon news conference before a massive march through Manhattan planned for 2 p.m. Speakers at the event included New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rev. Al Sharpton and actor Robert De Niro. More than 50 protests and marches were planned across the New York metropolitan area, with additional events in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and northern New Jersey.

Organizers say more than 9 million people are expected to participate nationwide — a figure that would eclipse the second round of “No Kings” protests in October 2025, which drew more than 7 million Americans to more than 2,700 events. The inaugural event last June attracted around 5 million participants.

The national flagship event was held at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, a venue chosen by organizers in recognition of the state where federal agents fatally shot two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, while monitoring the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Bruce Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” a protest anthem he wrote in response to the two deaths. Minnesota organizers told state officials they expected up to 100,000 people on the Capitol grounds, where the June 2025 event drew about 80,000 people. The St. Paul rally also featured singer Joan Baez, actress Jane Fonda and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Saturday’s marches come as President Trump faces increasing scrutiny over the war with Iran, rising gas prices and the administration’s mass deportation program, according to NBC News. In Washington, D.C., hundreds of protesters marched past the Lincoln Memorial and headed toward the National Mall. Protests also took place in Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and West Palm Beach, Florida, where demonstrators planned a march to the presidential estate at Mar-a-Lago.

In Southern California, volunteers and local organizations scheduled 41 rallies and marches in Los Angeles County alone. Ahead of the protests, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol installed large metal swing gates on Los Angeles Street ramps along the 101 Freeway early Friday morning to prevent demonstrators from accessing the roadway, as demonstrators had repeatedly blocked traffic on the highway around downtown Los Angeles in previous years.

The White House has rejected the rallies. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the protests as the product of “left-wing funding networks” with little real public support, saying the only people who cared about what she called “Trump derangement therapy sessions” were the journalists tasked with covering them. The National Republican Congressional Committee also condemned the events, with spokesperson Maureen O’Toole calling them “hate-for-America rallies” where “the most violent and deranged fantasies of the far left take the microphone.”

Organizers said Saturday’s day of action was spurred by a combination of economic and foreign policy concerns. “Since the last No Kings [protests]“We’re seeing rising prices for gasoline and groceries, while there’s an illegal war going on in Iran,” Sarah Parker, national coordinator for the 50501 group, told reporters Thursday in a press call previewing events.