As the United States braces for a weekend of mass mobilization under the “No Kings II” banner, the nation finds itself at a crossroads—torn between competing narratives about the meaning of protest, the threat of political extremism, and the boundaries of democratic dissent. With millions expected to participate in demonstrations across more than 2,600 cities and towns on Saturday, October 18, 2025, the stakes have rarely felt higher. Both organizers and federal officials are preparing for what could be one of the largest coordinated protest movements in recent American history, even as deep divisions over the protests’ purpose and potential fallout continue to widen.
On the surface, the “No Kings” movement describes itself as a grassroots, collaborative, and nonviolent campaign, committed to rejecting authoritarianism and restoring democratic norms in the face of President Donald Trump’s expansion of executive power during his second term. The movement’s slogan—evoking the Revolution-era rejection of monarchy—has become a rallying cry for those alarmed by what they see as threats to the country’s institutions. According to organizers, the protests are a test of America’s ability to tolerate peaceful opposition and a chance for citizens to defend their rights in the streets.
“They might try to paint this weekend’s events as something dangerous,” said Diedre Schlifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, in comments reported by The Washington Post. “But the reality is there is nothing unlawful or unsafe about organizing and attending peaceful protests. It’s the most patriotic and American thing you can do.”
But not everyone sees things that way. Republican leaders, including President Trump himself, have cast the protests as anti-American rallies, warning of possible violence and linking the movement—often without evidence—to extremist organizations like antifa. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced National Guard deployments in Austin, citing threats from “antifa-linked” demonstrators. Democrats there accused him of intimidation, highlighting the broader clash over the meaning of public dissent in the Trump era.
In an exclusive interview with Spotlight on Maryland, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed concern about the potential for radical groups to embed themselves within the “No Kings” protests. “I am all about free speech. I’m all about protest. It’s the great American way,” Duffy said. “I am concerned about who is funding this. Who is paying for it? Who is organizing it? I am concerned about antifa infiltrating and participating in the protests.”
Duffy’s comments came amid a broader wave of political violence that has unsettled both parties in Washington. He pointed to the recent shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk as a symptom of rising extremism. “He [Kirk] was shot because of the words that he was using. In America, we don’t do that,” Duffy said. “In a democracy, you debate, you argue, but you don’t pick up sticks and rocks and guns and kill each other.”
The “No Kings” movement’s first nationwide day of protest on June 14, 2025, drew an estimated five million participants, according to organizers, and was largely peaceful. Nevertheless, clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement broke out in several cities. In Los Angeles, police reported 38 arrests related to vandalism and assault on officers. Federal officials allege that antifa embedded themselves in these protests, leading to violence. This prompted President Trump to sign an executive order designating antifa as a domestic terror organization. “Radicals associated with the domestic terror group antifa and other far-left extremists have been carrying out a campaign of violence against ICE agents and other officials charged with enforcing federal law,” Trump said during an October roundtable at the White House.
Despite these allegations, watchdog groups and protest organizers insist that the vast majority of participants are committed to nonviolence and that the movement is not centrally coordinated or funded by shadowy donors. Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, noted the difficulties in tracing antifa funding, stating to The National News Desk, “Antifa is not like the ACLU. It doesn’t have a big, big headquarters or something.” Meanwhile, the Open Society Foundation, often accused by critics of bankrolling left-wing protests, categorically denied any involvement. “We do not pay to protest or directly train or coordinate protestors,” a spokesperson said, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to nonviolence and human rights.
With the next wave of “No Kings” protests set for Baltimore, Columbia, College Park, and the Washington, D.C., suburbs, the political temperature in these communities remains high following Trump’s reelection last November. Organizers say they have spent weeks preparing demonstrators to remain calm, lawful, and nonviolent—even if confronted by aggression from law enforcement or counterprotesters. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, MoveOn, and the American Federation of Teachers have distributed guidance on peaceful protest and held “Know Your Rights” trainings, one of which drew 18,000 participants in a single session.
“Now they are trying to smear millions of Americans who are coming out to protest so that they can justify and crack down on peaceful dissent,” said Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, as reported by The Washington Post. “It is the classic authoritarian playbook—threaten, smear and lie—but we will not be intimidated.”
Still, the federal response has been robust. In cities like Portland and Memphis, where President Trump has ordered increased federal law enforcement presence, organizers have tailored their protest plans to account for the heightened risk of confrontation. “Deploying troops and armed, militarized federal agents into our cities is an intentional tactic to sow fear, to intimidate anyone who dares to disagree with him,” said Ellen Flenniken, the ACLU’s deputy director of campaigns, in an interview with NOTUS. Local officials, too, are wary. A spokesperson for Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said, “Wilson’s primary concern is the unpredictable and escalating behavior of federal agents toward members of our community.”
Republican leaders, meanwhile, have not backed down from their rhetoric. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the demonstrations a “Hate America rally,” claiming it would draw “the pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic party and “the antifa people.” Majority Whip Tom Emmer accused Democrats of “promoting the terrorist wing of their party.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described expected participants as “the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party.”
For their part, protest organizers and supporters say these characterizations are not only false but dangerous. Hunter Dunn, a spokesperson for 50501, one of the coalition’s core organizing partners, wrote, “Trump can call us violent all he wants. The American people aren’t stupid. The No Kings coalition is aware that far-right agitators may sometimes try to disrupt our non-violent demonstrations, which is why we are prioritizing safety by making sure that volunteers are trained in de-escalation and community care.”
Bill McKibben, founder of the activist group Third Act, added a note of defiant humor. “Our average age is in the mid-70s. I think our gray-haired presence alone will help make it clear what nonsense this is,” he told NOTUS. “Older Americans were proudly over-represented at the first No Kings Day, and we aim to make that happen again.”
As the country awaits the outcome of Saturday’s demonstrations, the eyes of the world are on the United States—watching to see whether the promise of peaceful protest can withstand the pressures of a polarized age and whether the nation’s leaders can rise above rhetoric to honor the spirit of democracy itself.
