More than 3,000 No Kings protests set for Saturday
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
No Kings protest in Chicago on Oct. 18. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
Organizers across the U.S. are planning more than 3,000 local events Saturday for No Kings Day of Nonviolent Action.
The big picture: Progressive political groups, labor unions and human and civil rights organizations expect Saturday's nationwide demonstrations to surpass last year's No Kings rallies in June and October.
- The Twin Cities will serve as the flagship event, according to organizers, with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Jane Fonda and Bruce Springsteen scheduled to perform or speak at the State Capitol in St. Paul.
Context: Minneapolis was thrust into the center of the Trump administration's aggressive deportation campaign this year after immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens.
- Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE officer in January, just weeks before Border Patrol officers shot Alex Pretti.
State of play: Immigration will certainly be a rallying cry for many protesters, especially in cities like Chicago, Charlotte, and New Orleans, where ICE and Border Patrol conducted vast, seemingly random sweeps of immigrants.
- The war in Iran will also be driving people to the streets, the main organizers of Indivisible said on social media.
Zoom in: No Kings has mapped thousands of events planned for large cities like Chicago, as well as more rural areas and suburbs.
Flashback: More than 5 million people participated in thousands of events last June for the inaugural No Kings events, organizers said.
- Participation swelled to 7 million for October's protest.
- Organizers are promoting Saturday's No Kings Day actions as one of the largest single-day nonviolent protests in U.S. history.
What they're saying: "America is at an inflection point. Our communities are hurting. People are afraid, and they can't afford basic necessities," AFT president Randi Weingarten said in a statement.
- "It's time the administration listened and helped them build a better life rather than stoking hate and fear."
