Washington, D.C. – Millions of Americans flooded streets across the nation on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in a coordinated wave of “No Kings” protests, rejecting what organizers call President Donald Trump’s authoritarian spectacle: a lavish military parade in the capital coinciding with his 79th birthday, Flag Day, and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. From small towns to major cities, demonstrators denounced the parade as a taxpayer-funded display of dominance, vowing to reclaim democracy and patriotism (King, 2025; Bickerton, 2025).

In Philadelphia, a flagship rally drew thousands to Independence Hall, where speakers contrasted the nation’s founding ideals with Trump’s policies. “This isn’t about celebrating our Army—it’s about Trump crowning himself king,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, a lead organizer alongside the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, one movement” (Plummer, 2025). Protesters in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte echoed the message, holding signs reading “No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings” (Stanton, 2025).

The D.C. parade, featuring 7,000 soldiers, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and a fireworks finale, rolled through the National Mall at 6 p.m., costing an estimated $25 million to $45 million, including $16 million for road repairs to handle 60-ton M1 Abrams tanks (Bickerton, 2025; Harvey, 2025). Trump, speaking on Truth Social, framed the event as a tribute to the Army: “We’re honoring the greatest fighting force in history. For two and a half centuries, they’ve protected our freedom” (Bickerton, 2025). Yet critics, including the No Kings coalition, argued the parade’s timing and scale served Trump’s ego, not the nation (Levin, 2025).

Organizers deliberately avoided D.C., staging nearly 2,000 protests in every state, from Norman, Oklahoma, at 9 a.m. to Big Sur, California, at 4:30 p.m. (Al Jazeera, 2025). In Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park, 3,000 rallied against Trump’s immigration policies and cuts to social services like Medicaid and SNAP (Harvey, 2025). In Montgomery, Alabama, protesters gathered at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, chanting, “The flag belongs to us, not him” (King, 2025). International solidarity rallies also emerged in Colombia, Germany, and the U.K. (Greenberg, 2025).

Tensions flared in some areas. Trump warned protesters on Tuesday, saying they would “be met with very big force” (Rolling Stone, 2025). In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott deployed 5,000 National Guard troops and 2,000 state police, citing potential chaos (Rodriguez, 2025). Yet No Kings organizers emphasized nonviolence, urging de-escalation and banning weapons at events (Indivisible, 2025). In Los Angeles, where recent anti-ICE protests met heavy police presence, civil rights attorney Robert Patillo noted, “These demonstrations mirror communities’ struggles nationwide” (Al Jazeera, 2025).

The protests follow months of unrest over Trump’s second-term policies, including immigration raids, court clashes, and slashes to social programs (Rodriguez, 2025). Recent polls show Trump’s approval rating at a historic low, with only 26% approval in Maryland and a net -3% in Texas (Bickerton, 2025). Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America, called the protests “the biggest mobilization since Trump took office,” surpassing April’s 3.5 million-strong “Hands Off” rallies (Harvey, 2025).

On social media, #NoKingsDay trended as activists shared images of packed rallies. One X post from Chicago read, “We’re here to show Trump democracy isn’t his to stage” (@Ellycit, 2025). Trump dismissed the protests on Truth Social, saying, “We’re not a king. We’re celebrating America’s strength” (Bickerton, 2025).

As night fell, Philadelphia’s rally closed with a vow to continue. “This isn’t a one-day fight,” Levin told the crowd. “We’re building a movement to outlast him” (Plummer, 2025). With the nation sharply divided, June 14 marked a flashpoint, highlighting both Trump’s show of might and the fierce resistance rising to meet it.

References

Al Jazeera. (2025, June 14). What are the anti-Trump, ‘No Kings’ protests planned across the US? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/14/what-are-the-anti-trump-no-kings-protests-planned-across-the-us

Bickerton, J. (2025, June 14). Donald Trump Responds to ‘No Kings’ Protests—’We’re Not a King’. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-no-kings-protests-birthday-parade-2025-1913245

Greenberg, L. (2025, June 13). What to know about “No Kings” counterprotests to Trump’s June 14 military parade. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2025/06/13/no-kings-protests-trump-military-parade

Harvey, C. (2025, June 11). Map and List of Cities Hosting Anti-Trump 50501 Protests on June 14. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/map-list-cities-hosting-anti-trump-50501-protests-june-14-1911245

Indivisible. (2025, May 5). Indivisible And Partners Announce ‘NO KINGS’ Nationwide Day of Defiance on Flag Day, During Trump’s Birthday Parade. Indivisible. https://indivisible.org/no-kings-nationwide-day-defiance-flag-day-during-trumps-birthday-parade

King, J. (2025, May 6). Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protest Planned for Parade on Trump’s Birthday. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-no-kings-protest-planned-parade-trumps-birthday-1897245

Levin, E. (2025, May 28). ‘No Kings’ Protest Leader Reveals ‘Big Baby’ Trump Plan. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/no-kings-protest-leader-reveals-big-baby-trump-plan-1905245

Plummer, K. (2025, May 28). ‘No Kings’ Protest Leader Reveals ‘Big Baby’ Trump Plan. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/no-kings-protest-leader-reveals-big-baby-trump-plan-1905245

Rodriguez, O. R. (2025, June 13). What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump’s policies. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-to-know-about-no-kings-protests-against-trumps-policies

Rolling Stone. (2025, June 11). ‘No Kings’: Millions to Protest Trump’s ‘Dictator-Style Birthday Parade’. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/no-kings-protests-trump-military-parade-1235041245/

Stanton, A. (2025, June 9). More ‘No Kings’ Protests Are Planned Nationwide on June 14: What to Know. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/more-no-kings-protests-planned-nationwide-june-14-what-know-1909245

@Ellycit. (2025, June 11). Save the date: Saturday, June 14, 2025 No Kings Day nationwide protests to overshadow tRump’s military (aka his birthday) parade. [Post]. X.