On June 14, millions of Americans in over 2,000 different communities around the country took to the streets to protest the second Trump administration. “No Kings Day” is the largest single-day protest since Trump returned to office.
The protests were planned by many different coalitions, activists, and organizations. No Kings, through their website nokings.org, shared information about locations and times of protests and toolkits for those hosting protests. Partnered organizations of the nationwide demonstrations included the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood, Jewish Voice for Peace, Black Voters Matter, and many more.
“President Trump thinks his rule is absolute, but in America, we don’t do ‘kings.’ Since the inauguration, the Trump administration and its enablers have operated as though they have a mandate — but they don’t, and never did,” reads the official No Kings toolkit, explaining the intent of the nationwide protests.
The protests come amid ICE raids in major cities, including in California, where the National Guard was deployed, and here in Chicago.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings,” states the No Kings official website.
June 14 was chosen because it’s Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and a $40 million military parade in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary.
In Chicago, tens of thousands rallied in the city. The Chicago protest was organized by Indivisible Chicago. The demonstration started in the afternoon at Daley Plaza and made its way to Trump Tower. The sea of people came from all backgrounds and included families, students, teachers, healthcare workers, the elderly, immigrants, people of all races and ethnicities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled individuals. Flags of many different countries — including the U.S., Mexico, Palestine, and Puerto Rico — waved above, as did many LGBTQ+ pride flags.
“I’ve got two nieces, and I feel like we’re only going to be as powerful as we are right now, and if we don’t hold the line, I’m really afraid of what that will look like. Donald Trump keeps finding ways to take and take and take, and I just don’t want to let it all go to waste,” said Jenna, a protester attending the march, who asked not to have her last name published.
The signs and chants throughout the protest promoted intersectionality and coming together to stand against Trump’s government.
When asked why she attended the protest, nurse Fran Bender said, “Why wouldn’t I be here today? Never in my lifetime would I have thought that Marines would be called to a demonstration in a major American city.” Bender works in Little Village, Chicago, and many of her co-workers and patients are DACA recipients or undocumented. “I’m here partly because some of them can’t be,” Bender said.
“I am second/third generation from Mexican descent, and so I think it’s important to remember where I came from in the roots and speak up for those who can’t because of the fear and pain that it causes. I’m here to be for the people, and I’m against Trump. Always have been,” Natalia Cortez, a master’s student in clinical mental health counseling, said. She also works with people with disabilities. ”They’re scared about Medicaid getting ripped away from them, and they’re wondering how that’s gonna impact them,” Cortez said. There was a large police presence throughout the day, but the protests remained peaceful.
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