Thousands Participate In 'No King' Protests Against Trump Across US, Europe, Canada

Last Updated:October 19, 2025, 04:10 IST

Thousands protested Trump’s policies in US cities, Canada, and Europe, with leaders like Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders joining.

Huge crowds protested across the United States to vent their anger over President Donald Trump's hardline policies at "No Kings" rallies. (AFP/X)

Thousands of people on Saturday gathered across several cities in US such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles, in Canada and across Europe to protest against US President Donald Trump’s policies.

In New York, Beth Zasloff, a freelance writer and editor, was quoted by BBC as saying that she feels outraged and distressed at what she called a “move toward fascism and an authoritarian government" happening in the Trump administration.

New York City’s iconic Times Square, streets and subway entrances were densely packed with people holding up signs with slogans like, “Democracy not Monarchy" and “The Constitution is not optional".

According to BBC, the group stated that non-violence is a core principle of No Kings events and urged all participants to de-escalate potential altercations.

The protests were joined by several political leaders as well.

According to BBC, Senate Minority Leader and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer also joined in the protest.

“We have no dictators in America. And we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy," he wrote on X. He also shared photos of himself holding up a sign that read “fix the health care crisis".

In Washington DC, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said: “We’re not here because we hate America, we’re here because we love America."

CNN quoted one of the protesters, retired government worker Peggy Cole of Flint, Michigan, as saying that she feels it’s a “scary time," citing President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Democrats, arguing that he should be a president for all Americans.

“It seems to me, (Trump is) taking our government, our democracy, and dismantling it piece by piece, slowly, but surely. If we sit by and don’t do anything about it," Cole said.

“I think our democracy is at risk, and I think that that’s extremely distressing, and that’s why we’re here," Elizabeth Nee, 25, from Maryland, told CNN.

In Los Angeles, a crowd of people were seen with American flags and signs saying “we are the Constitution."

CNN reported people dressed in an array of colorful costumes, from fictional characters like Cookie Monster and unicorns to sharks, a frog and a dinosaur.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has embraced an expansive view of presidential power, using executive orders to block funding approved by Congress and dismantle parts of the federal government, to introduce sweeping tariffs on other countries, and to deploy national guard troops to cities despite objections by state governors, BBC reported.

Trump defended his actions as necessary to rebuild a country in crisis and dismissed claims he’s a dictator or fascist as hysterical.

Massimo Mascoli, a 68-year-old retired electronic engineer and resident of New Jersey who grew up in Italy, said: “I am the nephew of an Italian hero that deserted the Mussolini army and joined the resistance. He was tortured and killed by the fascists, and after 80 years, I didn’t expect to find fascism again in the United States."

“We cannot count on the Supreme Court, we cannot count on the government. We cannot count on the Congress. We have all the legislative, the executive and judiciary that are all against the American people right now. So we are fighting," he added.

The “No King" protests were also held throughout in Europe and Canada.

In Toronto, demonstrators near the US consulate general waved signs including “Hands off Canada".

Ahead of the protests, Trump’s supporters had accused the protesters of being linked with the far-left Antifa movement, and condemned what they called “the hate America rally".

Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News, Trump said: “A king! This is not an act. You know – they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king."

According to BBC, Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday activated the state’s National Guard ahead of a protest scheduled in Austin, the state’s capital.

He said the troops would be needed due to the “planned antifa-linked demonstration".

Criticising the move, Democrats denounced the move, including the state’s top Democrat Gene Wu said: “Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do – and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them."

Like Texas, Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has also ordered the state National Guard to be activated.

News world Thousands Participate In 'No King' Protests Against Trump Across US, Europe, Canada

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