Pittsburgh to join "No Kings" anti-Trump protests
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Pittsburghers will rally Saturday alongside millions of Americans in a new wave of "No Kings" protests accusing President Trump of overstepping his executive authority.
Why it matters: The demonstrations come amid mounting frustration over the government shutdown, widespread opposition to Trump's military crackdown on Democratic-led cities, intensifying ICE activity and shifts in federal spending.
State of play: At least three "No Kings" protests are planned in Pittsburgh on Saturday — at Downtown's City-County Building from 12:30pm-2:30pm, North Side's Allegheny Commons Park from 2pm-4pm and in Shadyside from 5pm-6pm.
- Roughly a dozen more are planned across the region, including in Mt. Lebanon, Robinson, Greensburg, Sewickley, Beaver and Washington.
- "The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don't have kings, and we won't back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty," organizers wrote about the event.
Context: More than 2,500 events are planned across all 50 states.
- Participating groups include Indivisible, 50501, the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers and MoveOn.
Flashback: Thousands flooded Downtown Pittsburgh in June for the first "No Kings" protests — part of the largest nationwide anti-Trump rally since his second term began.
Yes, but: Protest organizers across the U.S. told USA Today they expect turnout to far outpace June's events as anger over Trump's policies builds — predicting the largest single-day protest in modern history.
What they're saying: Pittsburgh Public Safety expects a larger turnout than in June based on what they're hearing from organizers, per spokesperson Emily Bourne.
- She said all three rally organizers have secured permits, and police, fire, and EMS crews will be stationed nearby in case they're needed. No public safety incidents were reported at June's "No Kings" event, she said, and police expect the same this time.
- "We hope that people exercise their right to peacefully assemble and have their voices heard, and we will be on hand to protect that right," Bourne said.
The other side: "Left-wing protestors can beclown themselves by lawfully protesting the alternate reality they live in," White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.