On US President Donald Trump’s birthday, millions of Americans participated in coordinated “No Kings” protests across nearly 2,000 locations nationwide. The participants voiced opposition to President Donald Trump while advocating for democracy and immigrant rights protection.
The demonstrations were organized by the 50501 Movement, which takes its name from “50 states, 50 protests, one movement,” according to CBS News.
Organizers stated the protests aimed to reject what they termed authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and militarization of democracy.
Demonstrators gathered in major cities including Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Denver and Houston, among others, the Associated Press reports.
Additionally, protesters assembled in cities ranging from small towns to major metropolitan areas, with Seattle alone drawing over 70,000 participants.
Given this scope, Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri mobilized National Guard forces to assist law enforcement agencies in managing the demonstrations.
Lawmaker assassination prompts protest cancellation in Minnesota
Minnesota officials canceled all scheduled “No Kings” protests after state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, while state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in politically motivated overnight shootings targeting Democratic lawmakers. Police found “No Kings” fliers and a list of potential targets in the suspect’s vehicle.
Texas state legislators received credible threats ahead of the planned Austin capitol protest, leading to one arrest by the state’s Department of Public Safety.
Trump organizes military parade on his birthday
The demonstrations coincided with Trump’s attendance at a military parade in Washington marking the Army’s 250th anniversary, which also falls on the president’s birthday. The parade involved hundreds of military vehicles, aircraft and thousands of soldiers, with costs estimated at $45 million.
The celebration, however, drew far fewer spectators than the predicted 200,000, with many viewing areas remaining empty.
About 200 protesters assembled at Logan Circle in northwest Washington, chanting “Trump must go now” and displaying a large puppet depicting Trump wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet, according to the AP.
The No Kings Coalition stated after Saturday’s events:
“Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don’t do kings.”
Previous anti-Trump Hands off protests
In April 2025, tens of thousands of people across all 50 US states and in major cities throughout Europe staged “Hands Off!” protests against President Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk, voicing opposition to sweeping government overhauls, mass federal layoffs, and aggressive cuts to social programs led by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by Musk.
The largely peaceful demonstrations demanded an end to what they called a “billionaire power grab,” condemned attacks on immigrants and marginalized communities, and criticized the administration’s moves to downsize government and restrict rights.