Protesters Attend Nationwide No Kings Rallies Against the Trump Administration

Actor Robert De Niro joined New York City’s “No Kings” protest on Saturday and used a news conference to deliver a blunt message against President Trump as demonstrators gathered in cities across the country for a third coordinated day of action.“I support this movement 150 percent,” Mr. De Niro said, calling Mr. Trump “an existential threat to our freedoms and security.”“He must be stopped and he must be stopped now,” the “Raging Bull” actor said. “It’s time to say no to kings. It’s time to say no to Donald Trump.”The nationwide protests, organized under the “No Kings” banner, drew crowds from coast to coast as opponents of Mr. Trump’s policies rallied over immigration enforcement, the economy, health care, the war in Iran and what organizers described as growing threats to democracy. More than 3,000 events had been scheduled across all 50 states, with organizers predicting one of the largest nonviolent protest days in recent U.S. history.In New York, Mr. De Niro marched through Midtown Manhattan alongside the Reverend Al Sharpton and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Protesters moved down 7th Avenue while a second march went along Broadway and stopped outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, home to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a frequent Trump target.Elsewhere, demonstrators gathered in California, Tennessee, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida and Washington, D.C., among other locations. In the nation’s capital, protesters surrounded a group of musicians beating drums and overturned buckets and chanted, “Hey Congress, do your job!” Some waved signs, others handed out water and sign-making supplies, and a few arrived in costume, including one person in an inflatable Pikachu suit and another in red “Handmaid’s Tale” robes.In Arlington, Virginia, marchers carried large banners to the National Mall while chanting, “No justice, no peace. No ICE in our streets.” After reaching the Mall, protesters delivered speeches and held puppet heads depicting Trump administration officials aloft on long sticks.Signs at demonstrations captured the mix of anger and humor on display, NBC News reported. “NO KINGS, YAS QUEENS!” read one sign in Nashville, Tennessee. In Reno, Nevada, another sign declared: “He’s gone too far.”Organizers said the flagship rally in St. Paul, Minnesota, carried special weight because it recognized resistance in the Twin Cities where a winter immigration enforcement operation saw two Americans, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, killed by masked ICE agents. The Minnesota event was expected to feature major speakers and performers later in the day, with Bruce Springsteen telling the Minnesota Star-Tribune he would perform his protest anthem “Streets of Minneapolis.”Mr. Springsteen released the song earlier this year in protest of federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. “A city aflame fought fire and ICE beneath an occupier’s boots. King Trump’s private army from the DHS, guns belted to their coats, came to Minneapolis to enforce the law … or so their story goes,” the lyrics say.Protest leaders said a broad set of grievances fueled Saturday’s turnout, from ICE raids and voting rights concerns to rising gas and grocery prices. They stressed that the demonstrations were intended to remain nonviolent, with organizers training leaders in de-escalation and banning weapons at events.The protests marked the movement’s third national mobilization since Mr. Trump began his second term. Organizers said earlier events drew millions, including roughly 7 million people worldwide in October, and noted that a growing share of Saturday’s participants came from outside major urban centers, including Republican-leaning and battleground areas.

Protesters Attend Nationwide No Kings Rallies Against the Trump Administration

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