'No Kings' anti-Trump protests underway across US

Protesters at the rallies accuse the Trump administration of authoritarian policies — from immigration crackdowns and mass firings of federal workers to attacks on the media and judicial independence.

In Washington, Senator Bernie Sanders accused Republicans of serving the wealthiest one percent and warned against a slide toward authoritarianism, declaring that "we the people will rule."

Republicans have dismissed the protests as "hate America" rallies, while participants in states like Florida said they were defending democracy and the US Constitution.

Nearly 7 million people turned up for the "No Kings" protests against Donald Trump and his administration, marking the largest single-day demonstration against a sitting president in modern US history, organizers said.

The figure is higher than protests in June, which drew more than 5 million people, organizers added.

The numbers could not be independently verified, but Saturday's protests saw millions of people join marches in over 2,500 cities and towns in all 50 states. 

“Authoritarians want us to believe resistance is futile, but every person who turned out today proved the opposite," said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, one of the organizers.

But several officials in the Trump administration have sought to downplay the size of the protests.

"Marked safe from kings in DC, since there aren’t any here," assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon posted to X. 

Over 100,000 people protested peacefully across all five boroughs of New York as part of the wider "No Kings" protest, the New York Police Department said late on Saturday.

"The majority of the No Kings protests have dispersed at this time and all traffic closures have been lifted," NYPD wrote on X.

The police department added that it made "zero protest-related arrests."

DW correspondent Benjamin Alvarez Gruber is present at the "No Kings" rally in Washington, DC. Watch below for his insight into the event.

US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, known for his progressive views, spoke at the "No Kings" rally in Washington, DC. 

"We're here because we love America," Sanders told attendees, rejecting comments from Republican lawmakers that the event is a "hate America rally."   

He said that the "American experiment" is in danger as Trump moves to gain more power for himself and for "oligarchs." Sanders, an independent, said the US political system has been hijacked by the ultra wealthy who seek to make themselves richer at the expense of working people.  

"We will not move toward authoritarianism in America. We the people will rule," he said.

As protesters gather across the US, there are also rallies being held in major European cities such as Berlin, Paris and Madrid. 

In Berlin, protesters gathered in the Pariser Platz square, which is not only home to the iconic Brandenburg Gate but also the US Embassy. 

"Berlin Germany showed up today to join a protest against authoritarianism and raise their voices for democracy. Americans all over the world know that We the People hold the power," Democrats Abroad posted on its official X account.

"We the People" is a reference to the opening phrase of the Preamble to the US Constitution.    

In Paris, demonstrators carried signs such as "Resist Tyranny," with the Statue of Liberty a frequent motif at the event.

The Statue of Liberty was gifted from France to the US in 1886 to celebrate American independence and the close ties between the two countries. 

There was also a protest in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and other demonstrations were reported in cities such as Malaga.  

Trump allies have alleged without evidence that the "No Kings" rallies are tied to the left-wing Antifa movement. Trump recently declared Antifa a domestic terrorist organization.

But what exactly is Antifa? Read here for a DW explainer on Antifa's ideology, structure and history in the United States. 

One of the themes of Saturday's "No Kings" protests is opposition to Trump's aggressive immigration and deportation policy. 

Watch this DW documentary below on how the Trump administration is forcing the US to reevaluate its image as a nation of immigrants.

Top figures of US Democratic Party have embraced the "No Kings" protests on Saturday.  

"I say to my fellow Americans on this No Kings Day: Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That's what they want to do. They're afraid of the truth," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X. "Speak out, use your voice, and exercise your right to free speech." 

Minority Leader of the US House of Representative Hakeem Jeffries said the protests this week are what "patriotism looks like."

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the Democratic nominee in last year's presidential race against Trump, encouraged people to peacefully protest in a video posted on X. 

"In our country, the power is with the people," Harris said in the video. "Tomorrow, October 18, I encourage you to join your neighbors in peaceful protests in a No Kings event."

Trump has not commented much on the protests, but he told US outlet Fox Business on Friday that he's "not a king." 

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a conservative Trump ally from Louisiana, went further, suggesting they are a "hate America rally."

"Tomorrow the Democrat leaders are going to join for a big party out on the National Mall," Johnson said, referring to famous landscaped park in Washington, D.C., where famous monuments are located. "They're going to descend on our Capitol for their much, anticipated, so-called No Kings rally." 

House Republican Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota also belittled the "No Kings" protest expected in Washington D.C.

"These guys are playing to the most radical, small, and violent base in the country. You'll see them on Saturday on the Mall. They just do not love the country," Emmer told Fox Business earlier in the week.   

The "No Kings" protests come as the US is in the middle of one of the longest government shutdowns in its history. 

Read here for a look at the mechanisms and consequences of the latest budget gridlock in Washington. 

Millions of people on Saturday are expected to turn out both in the US and around the world for demonstrations against US President Donald Trump and the policies of his administration. 

Over 2,600 events are expected across all 50 US states, as well as the capital city Washington DC.

Events are also planned in European countries such as Spain, France and Germany, with a rally also expected as far as Melbourne, Australia. 

The "No Kings" movement brings together 300 organizations in opposition to the Trump administration. 

"The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don't have kings and won't back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty," it says on the "No Kings" movement website. 

The website alludes to ramped up deportation efforts by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Trump's direction and "gutting healthcare, environmental protections and education when families need them the most."

Earlier this year, Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" which will likely result in milllions of Americans losing their health insurance due to cuts to the Medicaid safety net program.

The Trump administration has also slashed key clean air and climate protections and made moves to eliminate the US Department of Education, which would have a significant negative impact on schoolchildren with special needs.  

Trump continues crackdown on Democrats as shutdown rolls on  

The demonstrations come amid a US government shutdown with no end in sight.

The Trump administration has used the shutdown to cut federal funding for Democratic states which did not vote for Trump in last year's presidential election. The White House has also sought to use the shutdown to downsize the federal government and close "Democrat" programs.

Moreover, Trump in recent months has continued his push to deploy the National Guard in major Democratic-run cities such as Chicago, but these attempts have been slowed by the courts.

The Trump administration has also pursued charges against the president's political enemies in recent weeks.

The Department of Justice under Trump ally Pam Bondi has indicted former FBI James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former National Security Adviser John Bolton — all frequent targets of the president's anger. 

Welcome to today's coverage of the "No Kings" protests against US President Donald Trump.

This blog will bring you the latest scenes of the demonstrations from across the US and will also provide context on the current US political atmosphere.

We will also take a look at how US political leaders are reacting to the rallies.

Stick with us for more throughout the day.