The second massive wave of protests, known as No Kings, organized by a network of progressive organizations, happened on Saturday, Oct. 18. According to organizers, over 2,700 No Kings events were planned across nearly every state. It was projected that more than 5 million attended in June, the first nationwide action.
A wide range of issues brought protestors to the nationwide march. A broad message of democracy, constitutional rights and the freedom the United States was founded on brought together a diversity of concerns. Protestors came together to oppose the administration’s immigration tactics and its rush for federal and military intervention in Democratic states and cities as a way to tackle crime.
Thousands turned out in cities and towns all over Missouri to express their beliefs of the current administration’s threat to democracy. Despite rain and storms in St. Louis on Saturday, a few thousand protestors came together across the multiple protests.
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and other Republicans in the state denounced the No Kings event in the city as part of “Hate America” protests and accused attendees of behaving dangerously. Instead, there were displays of optimism, hope and the feeling of strength in the number of Americans who united to support the concerns of individual citizens in several cities. United States House of Representatives Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, from Connecticut, considered the No Kings protests “divisive.” He did say, however, “they’re free to express themselves.” Mike Johnson, House Speaker, slammed the protests as a “hate America rally.” Other Republicans derided the demonstration as anti-American.
Protestors sought to remind people that America was founded in opposition to monarchy. The popular Broadway musical “Hamilton” inspired No Kings participants in Macon, Georgia, to sing “The Story of Tonight.” The song is about the importance of sacrifice and solidarity today for the purpose of freedom tomorrow.
The protests were largely peaceful. No protest-related arrests were made in New York City or Washington, D.C., according to police in the cities where some of the day’s biggest rallies occurred.