The United States witnessed the largest single-day protest in American history on Saturday, Oct. 18, a sight to be seen in future history books. According to event organizers, more than seven million people from all walks of life — including students, teachers, immigrants, children and veterans — filled the streets of cities and towns across the U.S. for the second “No Kings Day” protest since June. These patriots marched for many causes, but despite the diverse issues highlighted, one overarching message was unmistakable: Americans will not stand silent against an increasingly authoritarian administration.
What made No Kings Day so effective wasn’t any direct political impact, but rather its show of the people’s unified resolve. By focusing on unity and optics, the protest’s coalition of over 200 organizing groups were able to create a strategic movement focused on public perception. The day’s events proved a universal democratic truth: power lies with the people. If change is not made, the people will act.
Unlike previous recent protests, such as the Black Lives Matter movement or 2018’s “March for Life,” No Kings Day wasn’t confined to one issue. Rather, it was a collective rejection of an administration that has grown increasingly comfortable governing through brutish intimidation tactics and spectacle. From immigration raids to environmental neglect to the erosion of reproductive rights, the movement combined disparate grievances into one message: the tenets of American democracy are nonnegotiable. Across the protest’s many staging grounds, this solidarity was more than just symbolic. Marchers across the country donned yellow, a color borrowed from other pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong, South Korea and Ukraine.
From Hartford to San Francisco, the brilliance of No Kings Day was not in the breadth of its complaints, but rather its cohesion. The movement didn’t fracture under its many competing priorities, rather, it used its diversity to amplify a single unignorable message: the grip that the MAGA movement has on politics is cracking. Already the signs of this shift have appeared – several Republicans have distanced themselves from Trump following his appointment of a known Nazi sympathizer, Paul Ingrassia, to the Office of Special Council.
Beyond collective turnout, No Kings Day showed an appreciation for and control of political tone. Organizers showed the understanding that a protest’s image is integral to its message. Even before getting underway, the protest was facing an uphill battle on public perception. House Speaker Mike Johnson railed against the protest as a “Hate America Rally.” Connecticut’s House Republican leader Vincent Candelora referred to the No King’s Day message as “divisive.” In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) deployed the National Guard, stating the “violence and destruction” he expected from protesters “would never be tolerated.” Each announcement served to reinforce the Trump administration’s false narrative that any who would speak out against its president were “whacked out” and violent ANTIFA-supporting terrorists who allied themselves with Hamas.
The reality of events, however, told a contrasting story from conservative cynicism. Crowds turned out waving American flags, cheering for our nation’s founding ideals of justice and democracy. Streets across the country filled out with brass bands and chants of “this is what democracy looks like.” In Georgia, protesters celebrated the fight for democracy when they broke out into “The Story of Tonight,” a musical number from the revolutionary musical Hamilton. In both Salt Lake City and Portland, activists engaged in song and dance, creating a joyful and unitary show of protest.
A plethora of protesters turned out in colorful costumes as well, including unicorns, tacos and replicas of the famed Portland Frog. Speaking to a crowd in Washington D.C., Senator Bernie Sanders phrased the cause of voter turnout best: “We’re not here because we hate America. We’re here because we love America.” The message was unmistakable — a joy and love for democracy, not rage, was the protest’s weapon of choice. This careful control of optics expertly flipped Trump’s narrative. No Kings Day demonstrated that dissent can be patriotic, and that resistance doesn’t need to be rageful. Through this, No Kings Day won the battle of public perception by reframing dissent to be both celebratory and patriotic.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy described the day best, calling it “breathtaking” and adding that “Big rallies like [No Kings Day] give confidence to the people sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up.” As the nation approaches midterm elections, No Kings Day serves as a much-needed reminder to the government that power stems from the hearts and minds of the people, including the 2% of America’s total population that proudly showed up. The protest’s brilliance was in its restraint; no violence or extremism was to be found in its crowds. Rather, the day was marked by the collective words of a country that has once more reaffirmed it will never bow to another autocrat.
No King’s Day offered something rare — a protest marked by joy, unity and fierce patriotism, rather than rage and division. If Americans continue this trend, then the protests’ real victory won’t be its headlines, but at the ballot box.