Nationwide protest of Trump’s lawless agenda

Millions demonstrated against authoritarianism on Saturday

This weekend, Defending Rights & Dissent joined more than 5 million demonstrators in the streets in more than 2,100 cities across the United States for “No Kings” protests, “a mass, nationwide protest rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.”

The events intentionally coincided with President Trump’s military parade on the National Mall in Washington D.C. a display of might intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman on our dime. Organizers announced ‘No Kings’ in response: “Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”

Defending Rights & Dissent endorsed the ‘No Kings’ rallies in opposition to Trump’s unconstitutional policies, which include cracking down on free speech, detaining people for their political positions, and now deploying federal troops against domestic protesters.

“From the ongoing detention of Mahmoud Khalil for his support for Palestinian rights to the  marshalling of federal troops against protesters in Los Angeles, Trump’s anti-free speech agenda is truly worthy of a king. But our constitution makes a democratic republic and we have no Kings here in the U.S. Defending Rights & Dissent was proud to partner with millions of ordinary Americans to fight back for the First Amendment,” said Chip Gibbons, Policy Director, Defending Rights & Dissent. 

Thank you to everyone who took action with us this weekend. Stay tuned for more opportunities to speak out against Trump’s attacks on free speech, free expression, and the rule of law.