NO KINGS DAY: Thousands Flood NYC Streets to Defy Trump and Rising Autocracy

The demonstration, one of many held nationwide, coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and a controversial military parade in Washington, D.C., honoring the Army’s 250th anniversary. As the former president celebrated with grandeur, protesters filled 5th Avenue from downtown to Bryant Park, where a stage was set for civil rights leaders, immigration advocates, and legal experts to address the crowd.

A March Against Fear and Federal Overreach

The march was peaceful, despite heightened security measures and warnings from Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD officials regarding possible disruptions. Demonstrators, many carrying signs that read “No Kings in America” and “Power to the People,” voiced outrage over the Trump-aligned movement’s policies on immigration, civil liberties, and militarized crackdowns.

“We are going to fight to ensure that all of us have rights, because if some of us do not, none of us do,” declared Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition. Awawdeh sharply criticized ongoing deportation campaigns and what he described as the misuse of federal power in cities like Los Angeles, where Trump recently deployed the California National Guard to disperse protests.

“We Will Not Be Bullied Into Silence”

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, drew applause as she took the podium. “We will not stand by and let him demonize immigrants, separate families, and upend our neighborhoods,” she said. “We will not bend the knee to a wannabe king.”

Lieberman emphasized that the demonstration was not just about immigration or politics, but about preserving democracy itself. “Today shows that we the people have the power,” she told the roaring crowd. “We will speak out as long as it takes.”

A National Movement of Defiance

Organizers called the coordinated protests a “nationwide day of defiance,” with similar marches taking place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and other major cities. The goal: to push back against authoritarianism and reassert democratic values ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“This is about more than one man,” said a spokesperson for the national organizing committee. “This is about the soul of our democracy.”

A Sobering Note Amid the Protests

The day was also marked by tragedy. News broke during the march that two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota were shot—one fatally—in what Governor Tim Walz described as a “targeted political assassination.” The announcement cast a somber shadow over the protests and highlighted the escalating threats facing elected officials and democracy itself.

Conclusion