Millions gathered for nationwide protests to denounce President Donald Trump administration’s “authoritarianism” — and they came equipped with clever signs and eye-catching costumes.
In what is expected to be one of the largest peaceful protests in U.S. history, demonstrators in cities across the country — from San Francisco to Chicago to New York — marched in protest of what organizers described as the president’s “authoritarian power grabs.” The president insisted he’s “not a king” in a Friday interview with Fox News.
Saturday’s mass protests came four months after the first “No Kings” protests in June, which were largely peaceful and saw few arrests. Demonstrators evoked their frustration with the current state of the country through powerful signs and wardrobe choices.
As one Washington, DC protester declared on a sign: “Less fascism! More fashion!”
Here are some of the best signs and outfits captured at the “No Kings” protests.
One rally-goer in the nation’s capital held up a sign that read: “All of my outrage can’t fit on this sign.”
Another DC protester, dressed in an inflatable unicorn suit, held up a poster stating: “The threat to democracy is real. (I am not.)”
Meanwhile, in New York City, thousands filled Times Square. Randi Weingarten, the union president of the American Federation of Teachers, remarked on the masses in New York City, telling the crowd in DC: “There are so many people who want to fight for our democracy and say no kings. And what I have just been told, that in New York City, there are more people at Times Square than there are on New Year’s Eve.”
An estimated one million people watched the ball drop from Times Square last year, CBS New York reported. The Independent has asked organizers for turnout estimates.
A girl protesting in Times Square held up a colorful sign reading: “Little girls against big egos.”
Another rally-goer sported sunglasses, a hat supporting mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and a yellow shirt emblazoned with “Antifa.”
The reference to the decentralized anti-fascist movement, which several Trump administration officials and Congressional Republicans blamed as being responsible for the demonstrations even before they were underway.
Speaking about the “No Kings” protests, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Monday: “This is part of Antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question who’s funding it?”
House Speaker Mike Johnson similarly said at a press conference on Wednesday: “We call it the hate America rally that’ll happen Saturday. Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists on full display.”
Others boasted inflatable frog costumes, a reference to the Portland “Antifa frog” on the frontlines of Oregon protests near the city’s ICE facility for the last few weeks. Earlier this month, footage revealed federal agents pepper-spraying the frog suit-wearing demonstrator, drawing comical contrast to the description of protesters by Trump administration officials about the liberal city’s demonstrations.
Several high-profile figures spoke at rallies across the country on Saturday.
In Washington, D.C., Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the rally crowd, warning that the American experiment is now “in danger.”
He said: “We rejected the divine right of kings in the 1770s. We will not accept the divine right of oligarchs today.”
The president, who spent the day in Palm Beach, Florida, had not publicly addressed the issue of the protests at the time of publication.
As prominent Republicans labeled the ‘No Kings’ events ‘Hate America’ rallies, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday said protests were “as American as motherhood, baseball and apple pie.” Some demonstrators added a few other foods to that list, including a hot dog in Nashville and a lobster in Boston.
In Birmingham, Alabama, one demonstrator showed up with a taco-shaped hat.
The appetizing accessory appeared to be a reference to the term “TACO,” short for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” Some Wall Street traders first used the acronym to describe the president’s flip-flopping on tariff threats. For example, after unveiling his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, the markets plummeted, only to soar to record highs the following week, when he ordered a 90-day pause.
