Newsweek: Mayors, Political Leaders Speak at ‘No Kings’ Nationwide Protests
Peter Aitken, Newsweek
The nationwide “No Kings” protests drew hundreds of thousands to the streets in opposition to President Donald Trump on a number of issues, with political leaders and city officials at each protest voicing those frustrations.
When Newsweek inquired by email on Saturday about the protests, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded: "Who cares?"
Why It Matters
The event marks the third mass protest during the second Trump administration, with many projecting that it could end up being the largest single turnout since Trump returned to office.
A previous “No Kings” protest on June 14, which was Trump's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army's 250th, saw around 1,800 protests staged across the U.S. alone.
However, those demonstrations took place just after Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles, which occurred on June 9 in response to protests over federal immigration raids in the area. Since then, Trump has deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, and attempted to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, and Chicago.
Recent court cases determined that Trump has the authority to federalize the National Guard but not necessarily to deploy the guard, with further decisions in those cases to come.
What To Know
Protests in Boston; New York City; Chicago; Princeton, New Jersey; Albuquerque, Providence, Rhode Island; Minneapolis, and more drew immense crowds, with at least one event scheduled in every U.S. state and demonstrations unfolding across Europe as well.
Mayors and political leaders took the chance to speak to the crowds and vocalize the issues many residents and Democratic officials wish to make known to Trump and his administration.
Who Spoke At The ‘No Kings’ Protests?
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, known as one of the most progressive mayors in the U.S., told the crowds in her city: “Boston embodies the truth that America is a nation of immigrants and laws.”
“Boston will keep fighting back, to keep moving forward. It’s why we join our A.G. [Attorney General] and cities around the country in court against this administration’s illegal attempts to roll back our rights,” Wu, the first woman and woman of color to serve as mayor of the city, said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asked if residents in his city were ready to “defend this democracy,” “fight fascism” and “destroy authoritarianism” before leading the crowd in a chant of “No Kings.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took the stage to speak, telling the crowd, in part: “We are here today to defend the principle that has defined America since its founding: The belief that tyranny in any form must be resisted by the people of conscience – especially here in Chicago. We will never surrender.”
“Throughout history, we have learned that tyranny doesn’t arrive with dramatic proclamations: Most times, it comes quietly, wrapped in the language of law and order, with fingers pointed at someone who doesn’t look like you, promising safety while demanding we sacrifice our neighbors,” he continued.
“Today we are here to say with one voice that there is a threat to our constitutional republic. This is not a political choice – this is a moral imperative,” he added. Pritzker also marched with the protesters, joining them at one point in a chant of “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb addressed the crowd in his city, asking if the crowd believed in “freedom in this city.”
“If we learned from this last election, we cannot afford to sit on the couch. EVERY ELECTION MATTERS! So please remember: You have to vote. So next November, we’re going to take back the House, we’re going to send Senator Jacob Brown back to the U.S. Senate, we’re going to elect a Democrat to be the next governor of this great state,” Bibb said to a fired up crowd.
What People Are Saying
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, in a post on X: “What an honor to speak at the No Kings protest in beautiful Philadelphia, where America was launched and Thomas Jefferson denounced King George’s “long train of abuses” approaching “absolute tyranny.” I’m seeing a lot of joy and strength in Philly.”
In a later post, he added: “The Preamble to the Constitution began with three magic words and they were not ‘I, the King.’”
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in a video interview with Boston Globe Audience Editor Carlos Munoz posted on X said: “I think the turnout is amazing. We just came off the steps of the statehouse, and from that vantage point there is a steady crowd of people all the way to Memorial on their way to City Hall now, and the statehouse is still full, so there is easily two-, three-, four-thousand people here right now, and it speaks to the level of both unity in this community, and anxiety, and anger, frustration and disappointment about the direction that our national government is going in right now.”
He added: “I think there’s two primary things: One is it’s important for all of us, who sometimes feel alone in our frustration, in our disappointment, in our anger, to be around like-minded people to feel that we’re not alone – and that’s clearly happening in this city and this state – and two is to be part of something bigger to send a message that this is not the direction we want our government to be going in.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a post on X: “No Kings. Minneapolis is united for our neighbors, united for our democracy.”
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller in a post on X: “I joined our community at the No Kings protest in Albuquerque to stand up for a core American principle: no kings, no absolute power. Proud to see so many voices united for nonviolence, civic action, and the power of the people to shape our future.”
Princeton Mayor Mark Freda in New Jersey wrote on X: “No Kings II in Princeton this afternoon. What a crowd. Great day for peaceful protesting. Great messages from the speakers. Thank you to all that organized this and giant thanks to all that participated!!”
California state Senator Scott Wiener posted on X: “SAN FRANCISCO SAYS NO DAMN KINGS!!!!!”
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