Thousands of 'No Kings' protesters with obscene signs are joined by celebrities to fill the streets as America braces for violent chaos
By Sophie Gable
Daily Mail
Oct 18, 2025
New York's Times Square floods with protesters for the No Kings rally on October 18
Thousands of protesters and high-profile figures are flooding streets across the US as part of 'No Kings' rallies against Donald Trump.
The National Guard is poised to meet protesters after being put on alert in several states amid fears the demonstrations could turn violent.
The rally is the second time that protesters have dissented against Trump this year, after the first demonstration descended into chaos in cities including Los Angeles and Portland.
Actors Jack Black and John Cusack were spotted at the rallies. Notable politicians, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Raphael Warnock, Senator Chris Murphy, and Governor JB Pritzker, addressed the crowds.
Cusack told CNN at a rally in Chicago: 'No, you [Trump] can’t put troops on our streets. You can’t create enough chaos to invoke the Insurrection Act so you can stay in power. We all know what your plan is.'
Sanders spoke at the protest in DC, issuing a defiant message to his Republican colleagues and the Republican administration amid the government shutdown.
Murphy blasted Trump for 'enacting a detailed, step-by-step plan to destroy all the things that protect our free speech,' while Warnock kicked off the rally in Atlanta, accusing the president of 'weaponizing despair.'
Other celebrities expected to attend the protests, including Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Alan Cumming, and John Leguizamo, according to a fundraising email on Thursday from the political action committee Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
Demonstrators turned out in Times Square to oppose what they deem as authoritarian policies by Donald Trump
Demonstrators in Italy showed off their obscene signs calling Trump a 'c***' and a rapist
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson branded the latest protests a 'hate America rally' comprised of 'the pro-Hamas wing' and 'antifa people' during an appearance on Fox News.
But demonstrators say they are rallying against what they deem as increasingly authoritarian polices by the Trump administration.
Local and federal officials have urged protesters to remain peaceful, but many cities have increased public safety measures in preparation for violence.
The protests in the US coincided with global demonstrations taking place in the likes in the UK, Italy and Germany.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Department of Public Safety and the National Guard to 'surge forces into Austin ahead of an Antifa-linked protest'.
'Texas will NOT tolerate chaos,' he wrote on X. 'Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested. Law and order will be enforced.'
The governor's office later issued a statement declaring that Special Agents, Texas Rangers, and the Texas National Guard will be deployed along with Homeland Security to investigate 'any links to known terrorist organizations'.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin also placed the National Guard on 'state active duty' status.
The governor wrote in a statement: 'With planned protests across the country this weekend, including in Virginia, I want to be clear that Virginians have a fundamental right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but that right does not include the destruction of property, looting, vandalism, disruption of traffic, or violence of any kind—for which there will be zero tolerance.'
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall told CNN that the state would 'have to get the National Guard out' amid the nationwide protests.
'Hopefully it'll be peaceful. I doubt it,' he added.
Demonstrators on their way to Chicago's Grant Park on Saturday afternoon
The second No Kings protest has kicked off in major cities across the country on Saturday afternoon (Pictured: A protester in Times Square, New York)
Multiple Republican governors including Greg Abbott and Glenn Youngkin have activated the National Guard ahead of the protests (Pictured: Law enforcement officers standing guard in Portland on October 6)
Demonstrators wear costumes and carry signs as they rally marching to the national Mall in Washington DC
Organizers of the event have maintained that the protests are intended to be peaceful and assured that leaders have undergone de-escalation training.
Some are still concerned about chaos, Portland, Oregon resident Jamila Mohamed, telling local NBC affiliate, KGW, that she is concerned about the protests in light of previous violence which broke out during Black Lives Matter rallies in 2020.
'I don't feel safe right now where I am in downtown right now,' she said.
However, others told the outlet that they thought the demonstration was a 'valiant effort to try and save our democracy.'
The National Guard's presence across major cities is the latest move from the Trump administration to mobilize troops.
After Trump deployed the troops to Los Angeles, California officials widely protested their presence, and the state sued the Trump administration for exceeding legal authority by sending troops without the governor's consent.
Later in the summer, Trump sent hundreds of National Guard members to Washington DC, prompting the District of Columbia to file a lawsuit to end the deployment.
In recent weeks, Trump activated National Guard troops in Portland, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mobilized members in Chicago.
Trump addressed the protests against his administration to reporters on Wednesday, noting that the opposition 'have their day coming up'.
Prominent Republican leaders have doubted the protests peaceful intentions leading to several states deploying the national guard
Judy Mason participates in a 'No Kings' rally in Birmingham, Alabama by taunting Trump with a taco hat in reference to the jibe Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO) which was coined in response to his threats and reversals during his trade war
'I hear very few people are gonna be there, by the way. But they have their day coming up and they want to have their day in the sun,' he added.
Prominent celebrities and Democrats have encouraged participation in the protest, with former Vice President Kamala Harris sharing a video on social media advocating for peaceful protest of the current administration.
The organizers for the rally have maintained that the protest will be calm and the National Guard won't be needed.
The No Kings coalition wrote on its website that all events have a shared commitment to preventing violence and promoting safety.
Organization leaders noted that they are trained in de-escalation and are working to ensure peaceful protests nationwide.
Diedre Schlifeling, the political and advocacy officer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is participating in the protest, said she didn't expect a need for the Guard.
'But if the Trump Administration attempts to do that as a way to intimidate peaceful protests, we are prepared for that,' she added.
The No Kings rally follows the first event in June that saw millions of people take to the streets in protest of Trump's crusade against immigrants, healthcare policies, anti-environmental stances, and policies on gun violence.
Organization leaders have pushed back on the deployment of the National Guard, assuring that the event's purpose is to be peaceful (Pictured: Protesters lining the streets in Ocala, Florida)
The protests are happening nationwide, with over 2,500 registered events (Pictured: A person dressed in a Donald Trump costume parading the streets of DC)
The event is protesting Donald Trump's policies, including his hardline deportation measures, anti-environmental positions, and his increasing scope over the federal government (Pictured: A protester holding signs in Times Square on Saturday afternoon)
The event coincided with a massive parade the president ordered to the military's 250th anniversary which also unfolded around his birthday.
'The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty,' the organization's description reads.
'Because this country does not belong to kings, dictators, or tyrants. It belongs to We the People - the people who care, who show up, and the ones who fight for dignity, a life we can afford, and real opportunity. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.'
There are a multitude of partners sponsoring the event, including the TransLatin Coalition, Stand Up America, the Sierra Club, Saline Indivisible, Planned Parenthood, Greenpeace, Catholics Vote Common Good, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, the Arab American Institute, and the ACLU, among others.
There are over 2,500 planned protests across the country, with major events in San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, New York City, and Boston.
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