On Saturday, October 18, 2025, millions of Americans took to the streets in all 50 states for the second wave of “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s policies. There were plans for more than 2,500 protests across the country. This is 450 more than the first rallies in June, which drew about 5 million people.
People protest against authoritarianism
Protesters came together to speak out against what the organizers say is Trump’s increasingly authoritarian way of running the country. The Indivisible Project organized the events across the country. They said that widespread ICE raids, troop deployments in states led by Democrats, and what they call “systematic attacks” on democratic institutions were the main reasons for the mass mobilization.
Adam Schiff, a Democratic senator from California, compared the protests to the American Revolution. He said that the people who took part were “standing up for democratic values” and doing their part as citizens to protect democracy. In a video message before the rally, the senator used the Declaration of Independence to frame the protests as a grassroots stand against authoritarianism.
Major cities hold organized rallies
The protest in Atlanta started at 10 a.m. ET behind the Civic Center and included live music and planned marches. Joan Press, who was there, told CNN that she went because she was worried about threats to abortion rights, healthcare access, and Social Security. At 11 a.m. ET, the march in New York City began. At noon, there was a rally in Washington, DC, and at 1 p.m. ET, there was a demonstration in Chicago.
CNN reporters in different parts of the country described mostly calm and organized scenes. People of all ages and backgrounds took part.
Republicans call protests “anti-American”
Republican leaders ignored the protests. House Speaker Mike Johnson said without proof that the protests were making the federal government shutdown last longer. Roger Marshall, a Republican senator, said that “professional protesters” and “agitators” would be there. Johnson said that people who are “pro-Hamas” and “Antifa” would also be there.
In an interview with Fox Business Network, President Trump said that Democrats purposely put off negotiations to fund the government. This was so that the protests could happen.
Safety Rules and Security Measures
The Department of Homeland Security sent an intelligence report to police departments warning them that there could be violence at big protests. However, they didn’t find any specific or credible threats. The report suggested setting up separate areas for protesters and counter-protesters. It also suggested working with transit agencies to keep an eye on how people are traveling more often.
The Indivisible Project stressed its dedication to “nonviolent action,” saying that tens of thousands of people learned how to stay safe and calm down. Organizers set up the peaceful protests to be a clear contrast to what they say is the administration’s militarized show of force.
Jeff Jackson, the Attorney General of North Carolina, said in a statement that peaceful protest is “one of the most important rights we have as Americans.”
Background of the Government Shutdown
The protests happened while the federal government was shut down because GOP lawmakers, the White House, and Democrats were at an impasse over healthcare subsidy provisions. These provisions needed to be included in funding legislation. While getting ready to go to a $1 million-per-plate fundraising dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump blamed Democrats for the deadlock. There were no public events planned for Saturday.
More news from the Trump administration
On social media, President Trump said that he had shortened the sentence of former Representative George Santos. Santos was serving seven years for fraud charges that led to his being kicked out of Congress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left Washington after failing to get Tomahawk missiles from Trump. After that, Trump told both sides to stop fighting and accept the current battle lines.
Several universities, such as the University of Virginia, USC, Penn, Brown, and MIT, turned down a Trump administration offer. The offer was to give them more money in exchange for policy changes.
