Nathalia Peralta D., Staff Writer 

Five million demonstrators attended the first “No Kings” protests on June 14, 2025, and almost seven million showed up to the second round of rallies on Oct. 18, 2025. Crowds gathered in cities across the United States, as well as overseas, to protest President Donald Trump’s administration and call for the defense of First Amendment rights. Many protesters from Los Angeles to New York as well as Chicago, Washington D.C. and Austin, Texas, flooded the streets chanting, marching and waving homemade signs that proclaimed “We want all of the government to work” and “Make America Good Again.” 

At the protests, speeches and music blared, some even donned Halloween costumes in the cross-country rallies that demanded protection of all Constitutional Rights, many claiming they are under attack by the Trump administration. Politicians in support encouraged the rallies and spoke up, telling people to keep fighting for democracy.  Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Chris Murphy of Connecticut were a few notable politicians speaking out. Even Bill Nye, the beloved children’s show host, commented, “They do not promote the progress of science. They suppress it, to the detriment of our health, well-being, and international competitiveness,” he said. “It is a formula for failure.” 

Many of the fired U.S. Agency for International Development workers also joined the No Kings Protest at the capital, including Amanda Nature. Nature, 41, of Washington told NBC News, “The common adage is that 50% of the country voted for this. But 50% of the country didn’t vote for a government shutdown and the dismantlement of the government and services that people rely on.”

High-profile clashes between residents and federal immigration authorities in Chicago have unfolded in recent weeks. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker shared a defiant speech. He called out Trump and Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller for “coming for the immigrants, and for Black and brown people, and for LGBTQ people and for their political opponents.” 

“History will judge us by where we choose to stand right now, today. Future generations will ask: ‘What did we do when fellow human beings faced persecution? When our rights were being abridged? When our Constitution was under attack?” Pritzker asked. “They’ll want to know whether we stood up or we stayed silent.” 

Many people are speaking up. There are plenty of people willing to stand up, defy and go against their government because they believe in freedom. Many people believe that if we all stay silent, we are giving in to a system of power that will only benefit the wealthy, leaving us all to fend for ourselves. That is not what America is, and we shouldn’t let it get to that point. 

This is just the beginning and a preview of what is to come in the following months. People are fed up, scared and unsure of what this government has for them, but even so, they stand front and center to protect their rights and freedoms before it’s too late. Senator Elizabeth Warren addressed thousands at the Boston Common, stating, “Standing up to a wannabe dictator? That is patriotism. Peacefully protesting to protect our democracy? That is patriotism!” While many protests have been peaceful and without incident, some leaders, including those in Texas, have said they would mobilize the National Guard to monitor for potential unrest.