Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded streets across the United States and Europe over the weekend, denouncing what they call President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian rule.”
The coordinated wave of demonstrations, branded “No Kings,” unfolded in more than 2,600 rallies across major U.S. cities — including Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Portland — as protesters accused the Trump administration of eroding democratic institutions through contentious policies such as challenging birthright citizenship and intensifying immigration raids.
Organizers said the movement represents a stand against what they see as an effort to transform the presidency into a monarchy. Marchers carried banners reading “No Kings in America” and chanted slogans condemning what they described as a slide toward authoritarianism.
At a rally in Michigan, Debbie Rosenman, a longtime activist, said:
“We’re here today for No Kings 2.0. Things have only gotten worse. This isn’t a ‘Hate America’ protest — it’s a Love America protest.”
The White House dismissed the demonstrations, characterizing them as a “hate America” campaign, and said the president remains focused on “defending American values.”
Solidarity marches were also held across Europe, with crowds gathering in Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon, and Paris. Demonstrators there accused Trump of weakening America’s global reputation and undermining international cooperation.
Now in its second year, the No Kings movement has grown into one of the largest transatlantic protest networks of Trump’s presidency, uniting activists around concerns that his administration is chipping away at democratic norms and constitutional limits on power.
As the rallies concluded Sunday night, organizers vowed to continue mobilizing, declaring that “democracy must never bow to one man.”
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