Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the United States and in more than a dozen other countries on Saturday for a third round of “No Kings” rallies — demonstrations that have grown in size with each outing and show little sign of losing momentum.
Minnesota served as the national centrepiece this time, with a large crowd gathering on the Capitol lawn in St. Paul. The state has become something of a focal point for resistance to federal immigration enforcement — in particular the operations of US Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents — and organisers chose it accordingly for what they designated the flagship event.
Bruce Springsteen headlined the Minnesota rally, performing a song he wrote in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Springsteen told the crowd that Minnesota’s willingness to push back against enforcement operations had given hope to the rest of the country. “Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America,” he said. “And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand.”
Biggest Turnout Yet Expected
Organisers said they expected around 9 million participants nationally — up from an estimated 7 million at the October edition and more than 5 million at the June rallies. More than 3,100 events were registered across all 50 states, around 500 more than in October. Whether Saturday’s actual attendance matched expectations was still being counted at time of publication.
The demonstrations stretched well beyond the expected blue-state strongholds. People rallied from New York City to Driggs, Idaho — a town of fewer than 2,000 people in a state Trump carried with 66% of the vote in 2024. Organisers said two-thirds of RSVPs came from outside major urban centres, with significant participation from conservative-leaning states including Montana, Wyoming and Louisiana, as well as competitive suburbs in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.
A Long List of Grievances
Immigration enforcement was the most prominent issue at the Minnesota event, but it was far from the only one. Protesters across the country raised concerns about the war in Iran, the rollback of transgender rights, and what speakers described as an unhealthy concentration of economic power among a small number of billionaires.
In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial and into the National Mall carrying signs with slogans like “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Bells rang, drums beat and the chant “No kings” repeated through the crowd. In Kansas, demonstrators outside the Statehouse included people dressed as a frog king and a Trump baby. In San Diego, police estimated the crowd at around 40,000.
In New York, Donna Lieberman of the New York Civil Liberties Union addressed the crowd directly: “They want us to be afraid that there’s nothing we can do to stop them. But you know what? They are wrong — dead wrong.”
The Minnesota Stage
Alongside Springsteen, the St. Paul rally featured singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Senator Bernie Sanders and a lineup of activists, labour leaders and elected officials. Before Springsteen took the stage, a video message from actor Robert De Niro was played — he said he woke up depressed every morning because of the current administration, but that Saturday felt different.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, told the crowd: “Donald Trump may pretend that he’s not listening, but he can’t ignore the millions in the streets today.”
Government Response
White House officials were dismissive. A spokesperson described the protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with limited genuine public support. The National Republican Congressional Committee echoed that tone in sharper terms.
Protests Go Global
The movement extended beyond US borders. Demonstrations were organised in more than a dozen countries across Europe, Latin America and Australia. In countries with constitutional monarchies, the events were billed as “No Tyrants” rallies instead.
In Rome, thousands marched amid wider political tensions, also raising banners against military operations in Iran and calling for peace. London saw crowds protesting the war and the rise of the far right. In Paris, several hundred people — mostly Americans living in France, alongside labour unions and human rights organisations — gathered at the Bastille.