On Saturday, October 18, 2025, cities across the United States pulsed with the energy of protest as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets for what organizers dubbed "No Kings Day." The rallies, which unfolded from Oregon to New York, were not just a show of opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration but a celebration of First Amendment rights and a pointed demand for humane immigration policies. The scale and fervor of these demonstrations—expected to be among the largest in modern U.S. history—reflected a nation grappling with deep divisions and a sense of urgency about the future of democracy.
In Portland, Oregon, the heart of the movement beat especially loudly. According to The Oregonian, at least 40,000 people gathered at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, many donning inflatable costumes and brandishing clever signs. The Unpresidented Brass Band, whose clarinetist had been detained by federal agents just days before, played alongside the Portland Frog Brigade, infusing the protest with both music and defiance. The marchers closed down major bridges, chanting anti-Trump slogans and calling for immigrant rights, improved healthcare, and a shift in U.S. policy toward Palestine.
But the day’s peaceful mood was punctured by tense confrontations near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) complex in South Portland. As reported by The Oregonian, federal agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray on crowds gathered outside the facility—first around 4:30 p.m., and again after nightfall. Sparks from tear gas canisters ignited several small fires, though rain prevented them from spreading. By night’s end, Portland police had arrested three individuals on charges ranging from assault to harassment and bias crime.
These scenes in Portland were mirrored by protests in cities nationwide, part of a second wave of "No Kings" demonstrations. The first, on June 14, 2025, had drawn an estimated 2 to 4.8 million people, according to organizers and cited by USA Today. This time, the number of planned events soared to 2,500 across the country—a significant jump from the 1,800 events held in June. Organizers, including advocacy groups like Public Citizen and Indivisible, insisted that protest was not only a right but a vital sign of American freedom. “This protest is no threat to national security, as has been ludicrously claimed,” Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, told reporters. “Protest is a sign of our freedom... It’s what made our country stronger for 250 years.”
Yet, the specter of violence loomed over the day. Experts cited by USA Today warned that factors such as aggressive law enforcement, deep-seated anger, lack of organization, and the presence of counter-protesters could all contribute to unrest. Brian Higgins, a former police chief and now a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, likened the risk to "setting fire to tinder—it's very difficult to bring groups back under control." Roudabeh Kishi, chief research officer for the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University, noted that armed protests are six times more likely to become violent. With White supremacist group White Lives Matter planning a "day of action" to coincide with the protests, concerns about targeted violence were heightened, though no widespread incidents were reported.
Underlying the demonstrations was outrage over the Trump administration’s ramped-up immigration enforcement, particularly the actions of ICE. The agency’s operations in 2025 have become a flashpoint for public anger and controversy. According to Migrant Insider, the Trump administration repeatedly claimed that assaults on ICE agents had increased by over 1,000% during the year. However, a review of federal court records revealed that assault charges on federal officers had actually risen just 25% through mid-September compared to the previous year. The most significant increase—a 74% jump—occurred during ICE’s high-profile raids in Los Angeles, not nationwide. Moreover, many of the alleged assaults cited by ICE officials were later dismissed in court or downgraded to routine resistance.
Despite these statistical realities, top administration figures—including Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and "Border Czar" Tom Homan—continued to tout the debunked surge in assaults as justification for increasingly aggressive enforcement. The rhetoric, critics argued, was designed to justify chaos and expand ICE’s authority, even as the agency shifted tactics from jail pickups to street-level raids. Arrests on the street were up 1,100% compared to 2017, and most of those detained had no criminal records.
The human cost of these policies was thrown into sharp relief by incidents like the ICE raid in Chicago earlier this month, where children were reportedly dragged from their homes at night without clothes, sparking widespread outrage. In Oregon, a Gresham family recounted how armed ICE agents burst into a bedroom where a three-month-old baby was hiding, arresting two men who were not even the intended targets. Such stories fueled the anger and sorrow that animated the protests.
Public figures, too, joined the chorus of dissent. Country singer Bryan Andrews became a viral sensation after posting a series of videos denouncing what he called the hypocrisy of Christian Trump supporters who backed harsh immigration enforcement. “You don’t get to call yourself a Christian and then advocate and [expletive] laugh when families are torn apart outside of courthouses, when people [are] trying to come here the right ways,” Andrews told his half-million Instagram followers. He went on to criticize the Supreme Court for enabling racial profiling by a regional ICE office in Los Angeles, saying, “You don’t get to call yourself a Christian, and then think it’s OK that the highest court in the [expletive] land just gave a green light to ICE agents to be able to [expletive] target people because they are brown or speaking Spanish.”
Andrews’ message resonated with many, including actor Mark Ruffalo, who commented, “You crushed the lies of this administration and the Anti-Christian movement that supports it. Your song is [expletive] great and it’s part of a long line of other artists who have used their music to stand up for the values of this nation.” Yet, as is often the case in today’s polarized climate, Andrews also faced criticism from some who argued that enforcing immigration laws was necessary and that the outrage was misplaced.
As the day’s protests drew to a close, organizers and participants reflected on both the risks and the necessity of standing up for their beliefs. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, captured the mood: “People are saying, ‘I’ve never been moved to action before, but now I feel like I have to.’” With the Trump administration’s policies—and the backlash to them—showing no signs of abating, the "No Kings" movement seems poised to remain a potent force in American public life, reminding the nation that the right to protest is not just a privilege, but a responsibility.
