Anti-Trump protests held across the United States on ‘No Kings’ Day

Anger at President Donald Trump erupted into massive demonstrations across the United States and overseas, with millions turning out to denounce what they describe as authoritarian rule and a pattern of harsh, law-defying governance.

The mobilization marks the third nationwide surge in less than a year under the grassroots banner “No Kings,” which has become the most visible and forceful outlet for resistance to Trump since the start of his second term in January 2025.

Protesters now have a fresh target for their outrage: the war against Iran that Mr Trump launched alongside Israel, a conflict whose aims and timetable have shifted repeatedly. Opposition to the president has also spread beyond the United States, with rallies held in European cities including Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome.

Demonstrations in the US got underway in cities including Atlanta, where thousands assembled in a park to condemn authoritarianism.

US citizens living in Portugal raise placards during a gathering in Praça do Comercio

In West Bloomfield, Michigan, near Detroit, demonstrators stood outside in below-freezing temperatures to make their point.

In Washington, meanwhile, marchers carrying banners reading “Trump Must Go Now!” and “Fight Fascism” crossed a bridge over the Potomac River on their way to the Lincoln Memorial, a site long associated with pivotal civil rights protests.

Americans take part in anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protest

Huge turnout anticipated

The first nationwide “No Kings” day of protest was held last June on Mr Trump’s 79th birthday, the same day as a military parade he staged in Washington.

Several million people joined those demonstrations, stretching from New York to San Francisco.

Organizers said the second protest day, in October, drew an estimated seven million people.

This time, the aim is to surpass that figure as Mr Trump’s approval rating falls below 40 percent and November’s midterm elections approach, with Republicans at risk of losing control of both chambers of Congress.

Organizers say more than 3,000 rallies are planned

Just as Mr Trump commands fierce devotion from many in his “Make America Great Again” movement, he inspires equally intense opposition across the other side of America’s deep political divide.

Critics point to his reliance on executive orders, his use of the Justice Department against political opponents, and what they see as an entrenched commitment to fossil fuels coupled with climate change denial.

They also denounce his dismantling of racial and gender diversity initiatives, as well as his willingness to project US military force after campaigning as a candidate of peace.

Springsteen in Minneapolis

Organizers say more than 3,000 rallies are scheduled, spanning major metropolitan areas, suburbs and rural communities — including Kotzebue, Alaska, above the Arctic Circle.

Minnesota has emerged as a central flashpoint, months after it became the focal point of the national argument over Mr Trump’s violent immigration crackdown.

Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, one of the president’s most outspoken critics, is set to perform his song “Streets of Minneapolis” in St. Paul, the capital of the northern state.

Mr Springsteen wrote and recorded the protest ballad in just 24 hours in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two US citizens shot dead by federal agents during January protests against Mr Trump’s immigration offensive.

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