Massive protests began this Saturday in the United States and spread to other countries against President Donald Trump, with millions of people outraged by what they perceive as an authoritarian and law-breaking move.
It is the third time in less than a year that Americans have taken to the streets as part of a movement called “No Kings”, the most visible face of the opposition to Trump since his second term began in January 2025.
And now they have a new cause for outrage: the war in Iran that Trump launched together with Israel, with constantly changing objectives and completion deadlines.
The demonstrations are taking place in several cities, including Atlanta, where thousands of people gathered in a park to denounce authoritarianism.
A man held a sign that read: “We are losing our democracy.”
In the Michigan town of West Bloomfield, near Detroit, people braved subzero temperatures to protest.
And in Washington, protesters — including people holding signs proclaiming “Trump Must Go Now” and “Fight Fascism” — crossed a bridge over the Potomac River toward the Lincoln Memorial, the scene of historic civil rights demonstrations in years past.
The wave of rejection of Trump crossed the borders of the United States, with demonstrations on Saturday in European cities such as Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome.
Expectation for record numbers
In the first “No Kings” demonstration, in June, several million took to the streets from New York to San Francisco, while the second edition of the protest, in October, gathered some seven million people according to the organizers.
An even greater mobilization is now expected, given Trump’s low approval rating – around 40% – and the midterm elections in November, in which the Republicans could lose control of both legislative chambers.
Just as the president is revered by many within his “Make America Great Again” movement, on the other side of the deep American political divide he is rejected with equal intensity.
His detractors question his propensity to govern by executive decrees, his use of the Department of Justice to persecute his opponents, his denial of climate change or his offensive against racial and gender diversity programs.
Added to this is his recent taste for flaunting American military power after a campaign in which he presented himself as a man of peace.
“Since we last marched, this administration has dragged us even deeper into war,” said Naveed Shah of Common Defense, a veterans association that is part of the “No Kings” movement.
“At home, we have witnessed citizens being murdered in the streets by militarized forces. We have seen families torn apart and immigrant communities targeted. All in the name of one man trying to rule like a king,” he added.
Springsteen and Minnesota
Organizers say there are more than 3,000 demonstrations scheduled in major cities, as well as suburban and rural areas; even in the town of Kotzebue, Alaska, above the Arctic Circle.
Minnesota became a key point of attention, months after becoming “ground zero” of the national debate surrounding the violent immigration repression promoted by Trump.
Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, a staunch critic of the president, is scheduled to perform in St. Paul, the capital of that northern state, to perform his song “Streets of Minneapolis.”
It is a ballad that he composed and recorded in 24 hours in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two American citizens who were killed by federal agents during operations by Trump’s immigration police in the city.
Organizers indicate that two-thirds of the people who plan to demonstrate this Saturday do not reside in large cities, which tend to be Democratic strongholds.
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