The “No Kings” movement denounces the high cost of living and conservative policies
Thousands of protesters once again took to the streets of major U.S. cities this Saturday under the slogan “No Kings” to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump, the war against Iran, and the high cost of living.
One of the most significant demonstrations took place in Minneapolis, though protests were also held in cities such as New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Seattle—and even outside the United States. Celebrities played a particularly prominent role, with Bruce Springsteen appearing in Minnesota to perform his song “Streets of Minneapolis,” and Robert De Niro attending the rally in New York.
“Do not mistake our kindness for weakness,” warned Minnesota Governor Tim Walz during his address at the State Capitol in St. Paul, in which he recalled the violence perpetrated by federal immigration agents that claimed the lives of two U.S. citizens: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“When the wannabe dictator in the White House sent his aggressive, untrained thugs to harm Minnesota, it was you—the people—who stood up for your neighborhoods, who stood up for decency, and who stood up for kindness,” he argued, before hailing the state as “the freest in the nation.”
“We want justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We want justice for every person who was injured or traumatized,” he added, before drawing attention to the presence of immigrants at the rally. “We see you, we hear you, we value you, and we love you,” he emphasized.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also participated in the event, declaring that the people of Minnesota “are cut from a different cloth.” “We do not cower before bullies,” she proclaimed, before denouncing the “insidious authoritarianism” of Trump—a man who, she argued, “has taken a wrecking ball to the very foundations of what makes America great.” She also criticized U.S. interventions in Iran, Venezuela, and Ecuador. “We will continue to demonstrate because we refuse to believe in a future governed by fear, corruption, and chaos,” she emphasized.
Joining Omar and Walz is Senator Bernie Sanders, for whom Minnesota demonstrates “what democracy is all about”—specifically, the “uprising of this community that fought back with solidarity and won” in the face of the “unprecedented occupation by Trump’s domestic army,” ICE.
In Manhattan, New York, attendees displayed banners opposing ICE, Trump, and the war in Iran during the demonstration; meanwhile, in San Francisco, protesters marched from the Embarcadero to the Civic Center carrying American, Ukrainian, and transgender flags.
In Florida, rallies took place in West Palm Beach—where a small counter-protest confronted attendees regarding their presence—as well as in Boynton Beach. Earlier in the day, protesters marched from Arlington, Virginia, to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., chanting slogans such as “No justice, no peace!” and “Get ICE off our streets!” Demonstrations were also held in smaller cities, such as Columbus, Georgia, and on Jekyll Island.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, Texas, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is taking place—an event marked by division within the ultraconservative MAGA grassroots movement between those who support U.S. President Donald Trump and those who, without disavowing him, criticize the war against Iran.
