Huge crowds took to the streets in all 50 states of the United States to hold “No Kings” protests, expressing anger over President Donald Trump’s hardline policies, while Republicans ridiculed them as “Hate America” rallies.
Organisers said seven million people attended protests spanning from New York to Los Angeles on Saturday, with demonstrations taking place in small cities across the US heartland and even near Trump’s home in Florida.
“This is what democracy looks like!” chanted thousands near the US Capitol in Washington, DC, where the federal government had been shut down for a third week amid a legislative deadlock.
Colourful signs called on people to “protect democracy”, while others demanded that the country abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which is at the centre of Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown.
Demonstrators condemned what they described as the Republican billionaire’s strong-arm tactics, including attacks on the media, political opponents, and undocumented immigrants.
In Los Angeles, protesters floated a giant balloon portraying Trump in a nappy.
Many flew flags, with at least one referencing the popular pirate anime “One Piece”, brandishing the skull logo that has recently become a staple of antigovernment protests from Peru to Madagascar.
“Fight ignorance, not migrants,” read one sign at a protest in Houston, Texas, where nearly a quarter of the population is made up of immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
In New York, authorities said, more than 100,000 people gathered at one of the largest protests, while in Washington, DC, crowds were estimated at between 8,000 and 10,000.
Trump responded to Saturday’s events by posting a series of AI-generated videos on his Truth Social platform, depicting himself as a king.
Addressing the crowd outside the US Capitol, progressive Senator Bernie Sanders warned of the dangers facing democracy under Trump. “We have a president who wants more and more power in his own hands and in the hands of his fellow oligarchs,” he said.