A fresh round of “No Kings” events took place across the nation on Saturday, drawing participants determined to show the collective power of free speech and demonstrate the tenets of a democracy.
In the past, those who showed up did so to protest myriad issues. Immigration raids, budget cuts, government layoffs — the list was long and varied. The central goal was to publicly and vehemently denounce the Trump administration.
But this time, the message was singular. Get out and vote. And do it early.
The national “No Kings” coalition had said the gatherings would be nonpartisan and focused solely on voter participation. But many participants ignored that directive as they expressed their frustrations with much of the second Trump administration’s agenda, echoing sentiments in earlier rounds of nationwide “No Kings” rallies.
Instead of mass mobilizations, multiple “hyperlocal” gatherings were encouraged. More than 2,500 U.S. events were planned, including a virtual option.
With the midterm elections approaching, organizers urged people to become proactive and cast their ballots at an early voting site or send in an absentee ballot.
“Voting early is how we use our power,” they declared on the website for the coalition, which includes about 200 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters.
Here is how gatherings looked across the country.
Atlanta
At Piedmont Park, speakers made pleas for voter mobilization as well as declarations of how large numbers of voters could create change.
“In the spirit of these civil rights icons and the nameless foot soldiers, it’s our time,” said Gerald Griggs, a civil rights lawyer, nodding to Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and other leaders. “So go vote early, contact five of your friends, and tell them go vote early.”
The crowd reflected a particular anxiety specific to the area, with attendees recalling how President Trump tried to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
For Felicia Murray Jackson, who led participants in a march from the park to a church, the moment was personal. Her older sister was killed in February when a man fleeing immigration agents smashed into her car.
“I don’t want to hear you tell me how sorry you are for my loss — I want to hear you say, I took your loss straight to the ballot box,” she declared to the crowd. “We’re going to take human trafficking, child rape and the Epstein files straight to the ballot box.”
Oklahoma City
Dozens of people turned out in Oklahoma City at Mayflower Congregational Church, although voter registration in the state ended Oct. 9. The day’s rally was limited to holding signs outside along Portland Avenue or filling out voter reminder postcards.
“We can send them to voters who need an extra nudge, and a reminder that voting in the midterms is just as important as voting in the presidential election,” said Nina Lawrence, an organizer who hoped to combat Oklahoma’s low voter turnout.
Lu Eyerman, a spokeswoman for Indivisible, a grass-roots voter movement, said the focus on the election was to prepare voters for anything that could come in the run-up to November’s election. “We want to be prepared to help in whatever way we can,” Ms. Eyerman said.
Dallas
Near Pacific Plaza in downtown Dallas, Stephanie Williams with the Black Voters Matter Fund led the crowd in a vibrant chant.
“Our democracy is under attack!” she shouted. The crowd replied, “We fight back!”
Ms. Williams then addressed the crowd and listed how government policies showed up in their daily lives, from health care costs to SNAP funding to their electricity bills: “We have marched. We have rallied. We said, ‘No Kings.’ Today, we’re going to move from protest to power.”
Across the lawn, a steady stream of people held signs ranging from “Save democracy” to “Be a hero, vote!”
Among the attendees were Pam and Royce Mitchell, both 73 and married 51 years, who were attending their first “No Kings” rally. Ms. Mitchell, a retired kindergarten teacher, said the two had been George W. Bush supporters but were now Democrats. The political climate now, she said, was no longer about Democrats versus Republicans.
Reporting was contributed by Sean Keenan, Ben Fenwick and Deah Berry Mitchell.
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