"No Kings" protests against what demonstrators call the unchecked power of President Donald Trump's administration were held across the United States on the 17th. Unlike earlier rallies that focused on criticizing specific policies, this round centered on a call to rebuke the administration at the midterm elections in early November.
The New York Times reported that several hundred people gathered outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to appeal for votes, marching with placards reading "Vote early," "Your vote is your voice" and "Hands off my vote."
Slogans aimed directly at Trump were also visible at many sites, including "Trump must go" and "We elect presidents, not kings."
The rallies focused on encouraging early voting, with organizers arguing that the midterms should be used to check the administration and rein in its concentration of power. Similar events were held in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and other major cities. Participants said democracy was under attack and urged people to criticize the administration's policies and to vote as soon as possible.
Civil rights attorney Gerald Griggs told a rally in Atlanta to "vote first, then call five friends and tell them to vote early," according to the Times. Participants at a rally in Oklahoma City said voting in midterm elections was as important as voting in a presidential race. Turnout in midterms is typically lower than in presidential elections.
Organizers said more than 2,500 events were planned nationwide. Rather than drawing large crowds to a handful of locations, the protests were organized locally and independently across the country.
The No Kings protests are jointly organized by a coalition of about 200 groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, and this was the fourth round. The previous round was held in March, shortly after the administration launched the war with Iran. Organizers said at the time that rallies took place at more than 3,300 locations across all 50 states, drawing more than 8 million participants. Protests last June and October were estimated to have gathered 5 million and 7 million people, respectively. With this round dispersed across local events, however, it remains unclear whether total turnout matched earlier levels.