Leaders of the "No Kings" coalition said its main Instagram account was suspended for roughly 90 minutes on Saturday as nearly 3,000 events were taking place across the country as part of the group's early-voting push ahead of the November midterms.
Even after the page became public, organizers said they remained unable to access the account's backend for roughly four hours, preventing them from posting or communicating with their network.
“This suspension deprived the movement of a crucial platform right as communities were joyfully and nonviolently mobilizing,” a representative for "No Kings" told Newsweek on Saturday via email. "We cannot post or communicate with our network, meaning Meta is still actively depriving us of our platform at a critical time."
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The coalition called the suspension “unjustified.”
Meta said access was disabled in error because of an automated action.
"When accounts post, share or comment at very high frequencies it can trigger automated systems," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X on Saturday. "That's what happened with the No Kings IG account in the lead up to today's day of action. Unfortunately, that automated action was clearly taken in error. Everything is now working as it should and we sincerely apologize."
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What Is 'No Kings'?
The "No Kings" movement is a nationwide anti-Trump protest and organizing coalition that emerged in 2025 after the president returned to the White House and organizers felt he was wielding power that went against the United States' founding principles.
The first major wave of protests came June 14, 2025, on the same day the president held a military parade marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary.
Protestors held signs with messages calling out various Trump administration policies, including mass deportations, while others showed artwork of crowns crossed out.
While the messaging has largely been about Trump himself, the group behind the "No Kings" movement, Indivisible, has maintained that the key message is that political power should remain with the people, rather than leaders in Washington, D.C.
"October 17 is a celebration, an orientation, and an activation—all designed to drive mass early vote participation and build the nationwide capacity we’ll need to ensure the countless efforts to undermine our elections are met with the overwhelming nonviolent people power needed to defeat them," a "No Kings" spokesperson recently said.
'No Kings' Events Held Across the Country
Organizers told Newsweek that they did not yet have a nationwide crowd estimate, but said nearly 3,000 "No Kings: Vote Early" events were taking place across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The movement describes the events as a day of nonpartisan voter participation, encouraging eligible voters to make voting plans and cast ballots early for the November 3 midterms.
Events included rallies, marches, voting-information drives and organized trips to polling locations.
In Washington, D.C., demonstrators gathered near the Lincoln Memorial, where signs included “VOTE EARLY” and “HANDS OFF MY VOTE!” The Associated Press reported that a few hundred people appeared to be gathered there.
In Atlanta, City Council member Michael Julian Bond urged participants to use what he described as their democratic “power” to vote.
“The Constitution gives you one power, right? That is the power to vote. Are you gonna use that power?” Bond said. “Be a super hero, use your power. Go to the polls and vote.”
In Dallas, Teresa Cox of the Texas Organizing Project told demonstrators to research candidates and issues and make their own decisions as early voting in Texas prepares to begin Monday.
“Voting is one of the most important ways we participate in our democracy,” Cox said, according to The Hill. “Your vote belongs to you.”
Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, wrote on Saturday on X that "we join together to say No Kings. Not now, not ever. With an election less than three weeks away, we reaffirm the vision of our founders that we do not need to be ruled by a despot. VOTE EARLY and make sure your voice is heard."
The White House previously responded to the events, with spokeswoman Lauren Bis telling Newsweek the group should change its name.
“The fact that the ‘No Kings’ organizers are talking about voting in the upcoming election proves they should change their name," Bis said. "This November, Americans have a clear choice between President Trump and Republican’s commonsense policies or the extreme Democrats radical socialist, open-border policies.”
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The issue between "No Kings" and Meta comes as the company and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, have had increased dealings with Trump and his administration.
Meta agreed in 2025 to pay $25 million to settle Trump's lawsuit over the company's suspension of his Facebook and Instagram accounts following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Of that settlement, $22 million was designated for a fund for Trump's future presidential library. Meta did not admit wrongdoing. Zuckerberg also donated to Trump's inaugural fund and attended his inauguration.
More recently, Zuckerberg has engaged with the Trump administration on technology policy. He was among technology executives who met with Trump in September, and reporting by Semafor said Zuckerberg played a role in developing an artificial-intelligence industry initiative later released by the White House.
How to Vote Early in Midterm Elections
Early voting is underway in many states, including the key battlegrounds of Georgia and Texas, with the former already seeing a surge in early voting to record levels.
For some voters, voting early will mean heading to designated polling locations in county election offices or temporary voting centers. Others can use mail or absentee ballots, depending on their state's laws.
In most states, early voting is no different from voting on Election Day itself, with a voter still checking in, receiving a ballot, marking, and submitting it.
Not every state offers early voting, with Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire largely opting to only offer absentee ballots under certain circumstances.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anna Skinner and Anthony Murray.