WASHINGTON (AP) — Protesting the direction of the country under President Trump, millions of people gathered on Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations that Republicans have disparaged as “Hate America” rallies.
With signs such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, protesters wearing inflatable costumes and a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People” preamble that attendees could sign.
It was the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and came against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services but is testing the core balance of power, as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that protest organizers warn are a slide toward authoritarianism.
Trump himself was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests were expected there on Saturday.
Nationwide demonstrations
People packed into New York City’s Times Square, Boston Common and Chicago’s Grant Park; outside state capitols in Tennessee and Indiana; and at hundreds of smaller public spaces across the country. More than 2,600 rallies were planned for Saturday, organizers said.
Many protesters were angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”
“This is America. I disagree with their politics, but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country,” Reymann said, carrying a large U.S. flag. “I believe they are misguided. I think they are power-hungry.”
More than 1,500 people gathered in Birmingham, Ala., evoking and openly citing the city’s history of protests and the critical role it played in the Civil Rights Movement two generations ago.
“It just feels like we’re living in an America that I don’t recognize,” said Jessica Yother, a mother of four. She and other protesters said they felt camaraderie by gathering in a state where Trump won nearly 65% of the vote last November.
“It was so encouraging,” Yother said. “I walked in and thought, ‘Here are my people.’”
Organizers hope to build opposition movement
“Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.
While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts and Trump’s military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.
“We’re here because we love America,” Sanders said, addressing the crowd from a stage in Washington. He said the American experiment is “in danger” under Trump but insisted, “We the people will rule.”
Republican critics denounce the demonstrations
Republicans sought to portray protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, soon to be heading into its fourth week.
From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders called the protesters “communists” and “Marxists.” They said Democratic leaders including Schumer are beholden to the far-left flank and are willing to keep the government closed to appease those liberal forces.
“I encourage you to watch — we call it the ‘Hate America’ rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”
Many demonstrators, in response, said they were meeting such hyperbole with humor, noting that Trump often leans heavily on theatrics such as claiming that cities he sends troops to are war zones.
“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester who wore a wizard hat.
Democrats try to regain their footing amid shutdown
Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they’re willing to discuss the issue later, but only after the government reopens.
The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.
“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a key organizing group. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”
