As the United States approaches the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the nation finds itself at the center of another historic moment: the second wave of No Kings Day protests, scheduled for October 18, 2025. What began as a nationwide call for action in June—drawing an estimated four million Americans onto the streets—has now morphed into a sprawling, international movement. Organizers and participants are rallying against what they describe as rising authoritarianism, government corruption, and deep cuts to social safety nets, while critics in the Republican Party have launched a blistering campaign to discredit the demonstrations.
This Saturday’s No Kings Day events are expected to surpass the record turnout from earlier this summer, with rallies planned in over 2,000 U.S. cities and across borders into Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, according to NoKings.org and local organizers. The message, as posted on the movement’s website, is clear: “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.”
In Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the local Indivisible group is preparing for a day that blends protest with community spirit. “We do protest every Saturday at 11 a.m., for an hour,” said Kathy Coyle, an organizer with the group, as reported by the Detroit Lakes Tribune. “But the No Kings Day protest on Saturday is, like its June predecessor, part of a larger national movement that has now reached beyond U.S. borders.” The event, set for Veterans’ Memorial Park, will be followed by a family-friendly picnic featuring soup, games, face painting, live music, and a group sing-along. The cost to participate is simply a free-will donation, with proceeds supporting the local food pantry.
Chicago, too, is bracing for a massive turnout. Thousands are expected to gather at Grant Park’s Butler Field at noon, echoing the city’s spirited participation in June. The protest comes amid heightened tensions with the Trump administration, which recently attempted to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago—a move temporarily blocked by lawsuits from state and city leaders, according to FOX 32 Chicago. The event’s promotional materials pull no punches: “Our actions and resistance are necessary as Trump sends militarized agents into our communities, silences voters and voices, and hands billionaires giveaways while families struggle. This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship. We won’t accept a wannabe king, and we won’t back down in the face of chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
The scope of the movement is staggering, with protests scheduled in dozens of Chicago’s suburban communities, from Algonquin to Wilmette. Each location, each time slot, is a testament to the decentralized, grassroots energy fueling No Kings Day.
But this surge of activism has not gone unchallenged. Republican leaders have responded with a coordinated campaign to delegitimize the protests. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, the House Majority Whip, has been particularly vocal. Speaking to Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, Emmer accused Democratic leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of being “afraid” of the protestors, whom he described as “the most radical, small, and violent base in the country.” He continued, “We call it the ‘Hate America’ rally because you’ll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson echoed these sentiments on Fox News, warning, “They have a hate-America rally that’s scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It’s the pro-Hamas wing and Antifa people, they’re all coming out.” Johnson further claimed, “This hate-America rally that they have coming up for October 18th, the Antifa crowd, and the pro-Hamas crowd, and the Marxists, they’re all gonna gather on the mall,” characterizing participants as “an angry mob that’s a big chunk of their base.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also weighed in, stating, “Democrats want to keep the government shut down to show all those people that are going to come here and express their hatred towards this country that they’re fighting President Trump, that they’re keeping the government closed, as if it’s something to be proud of.”
According to Daily Caller News Foundation, leftist and anarchist groups like CrimethInc have issued calls for “veterans of the George Floyd revolt” to join the protests. On October 9, CrimethInc encouraged “direct action planning,” a term they define as mobilizing people for public disruption—even at the risk of arrest. Their online post declared, “To face down Donald Trump’s power grab and his terror campaign targeting ‘antifa,’ we need everyone, of all walks of life, to proclaim that opposition to fascism is both laudable and urgent.” The group’s messaging draws a direct line to the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, which resulted in 24 deaths and at least $1 billion in property damage nationwide.
Despite these calls for “direct action,” No Kings organizers continue to insist on a commitment to nonviolent protest. Their website explicitly states, “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events.” The tension between these two visions—one of militant resistance, the other of peaceful demonstration—reflects the broader struggle over the direction and character of protest movements in the United States.
Security concerns have not been limited to the streets. The Trump administration recently condemned Antifa-aligned groups for encouraging illegal acts, such as shining lasers at federal aircraft, which can endanger pilots. CrimethInc, for its part, urged participants to coordinate securely using encrypted messaging apps like Signal, emphasizing the need for trust and solidarity among protestors.
Not all the energy is adversarial. The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) has thrown its support behind No Kings Day as an official partner. In a statement quoted by the Detroit Lakes Tribune, the League declared, “LWVUS has decided to become an official partner for this day of mobilization to stand in solidarity with partners and stand up against hate and authoritarianism. The League has consistently and boldly spoken up in the face of rising authoritarianism. This is an opportunity to put words into action and show up in defense of democracy and as an effective ally.”
As Saturday approaches, organizers and participants are registering online, preparing banners, and rehearsing chants. In Detroit Lakes, after the protest and picnic, some will travel to Pelican Rapids for another rally. In Chicago and its suburbs, thousands will gather at parks, intersections, and city squares. The movement’s reach is remarkable, but so is the polarization it has sparked.
With the anniversary of September 11 as a somber backdrop, and the specter of government shutdowns and social program cuts looming large, the No Kings Day protests have become a lightning rod for national debate. Whether one sees them as a vital defense of democracy or, as some Republican leaders allege, a threat to American values, there’s no denying the movement’s impact—or the deep divisions it lays bare.
