Happening now
• Nationwide protest: Huge crowds are marching in major cities and smaller gatherings have sprung up across the country for “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s administration. CNN is on the ground at several of the more than 2,500 events in all 50 states.
• Why they’re protesting: Demonstrators are voicing outrage at a range of Trump’s policies, but some key themes have taken center stage, including perceived threats to democracy, the administration’s ICE raids and troop deployments in US cities, and cuts to federal programs, especially health care. Here’s what we’re hearing from protesters.
• Government at a standstill: The protests come with the backdrop of a federal government shutdown, with GOP lawmakers and the White House locked in a standoff with Democrats over a funding bill.
Protests in Charlotte, Austin and San Diego end peacefully, police say
As some “No Kings” protests started to dwindle in the evening hours of Saturday, some police departments have announced their cities saw no protest-related arrests and thanked participants for staying peaceful.
“Thanks for keeping it classy, San Diego,” said SDPD Lt. Travis Easter in a video on social media. More than 25,000 people protested in the city “peacefully and responsibly.”
On the other side of the country, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police said all streets have reopened and there were no arrests or incidents following demonstrations in South Carolina’s biggest city.
“We appreciate everyone who came out and helped make this a safe and respectful event for all,” CMPD said in a statement.
The Austin Police Department posted a photo on social media of officers walking in front of demonstrators, writing that the rally there remained peaceful and had no arrests.
“Great job ATX!” the department wrote. “We’re grateful to our community and event organizers for coming together to make sure voices were heard safely and respectfully.”
California freeway reopens following massive artillery demonstrations at Camp Pendleton
A section of California’s Interstate 5 has fully reopened Saturday afternoon following celebrations at Camp Pendleton for the 250th anniversary of the US Armed Forces, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson said.
The event involved fighter jets, helicopters, Navy vessels and live fire from a towed howitzer, a large-caliber gun transported by a vehicle and fired from the ground.
The US Marine Corps and Navy demonstration was the largest in a decade in the continental US, said Brian Coleman, a Marine who briefed reporters during the visit.
The interstate was closed “due to extreme life safety risk and distraction to drivers,” the California governor’s office said earlier Saturday.
Furloughed federal worker says Trump has “demonized” government employees
Federal government employee Monica said she joined the “No Kings” protest in DC because the Trump administration has affected her livelihood and “demonized” federal workers.
Monica, who declined to share her last name out of fear of retaliation, said she’s been working for the government for decades but was recently furloughed due to the government shutdown.
“One thing about the federal government — it has helped move a lot of African Americans into the middle class and buying their first homes in the Washington, DC, area,” said Monica, who is Black. “The elimination of all these jobs are creating mass threats (for people to be able) to keep their home, to keep a roof over their head, send their kids to college and the hope of the American dream.”
She told CNN that “people were literally in tears” at the government agency she works at when Trump announced mass layoffs to the federal workforce.
“A lot of people have been stressed, including myself. I was in tears. I was losing sleep, just worried about, you know, the way everything was going, whether I was going to be able to keep my job. A lot of people I know that have just started in their careers… My children and co-workers, who also have bills and want to survive, who have been really in a lot of turmoil,” she said.
Arguing that there’s a “lack of compassion” among the administration for federal workers, Monica said she wonders “if we can survive another three years (under Trump)? So many people are losing their jobs.”
Protesters who traveled to DC say "democracy is at risk"
Retired government worker Peggy Cole of Flint, Michigan, noticed that her 70th birthday fell on the same day as the “No Kings” protests. So she and her friend Janet decided to drive all the way from Michigan to Washington, DC, to mark the milestone. “I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate it,” she said.
“I had to be here,” she said. “We could’ve protested in Michigan … but this was special.”
Cole said she feels it’s a “scary time,” citing President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Democrats, arguing that he should be a president for all Americans.
“It seems to me, (Trump is) taking our government, our democracy, and dismantling it piece by piece, slowly, but surely. If we sit by and don’t do anything about it,” Cole said.
“I think our democracy is at risk, and I think that that’s extremely distressing, and that’s why we’re here,” Elizabeth Nee, 25, from Maryland, told CNN.
Nee, a social worker, said she’s seeing an impact at the psychiatric hospital she works at in Baltimore.
“We have a lot of people who are coming in and they’re unhoused, a lot of people on Medicaid. Everything’s at risk right now. So not only it’s the people I serve, but he’s tearing apart anything that has to do with supporting mental health, which is the field that I work in,” she said. “It’s scary, it’s scary to think about.”
Los Angeles “No Kings” protest march is underway
A crowd of people have gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall this afternoon, with some seen holding American flags and signs saying “we are the Constitution.”
People dressed in an array of colorful costumes, from fictional characters like Cookie Monster and unicorns to sharks, a frog and a dinosaur.
The group began marching not long ago.
Woman charged with brandishing firearm near “No Kings” demonstration in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
A woman has been arrested and charged with presenting and pointing a firearm while driving near a “No Kings” demonstration in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Saturday, police said.
The incident took place just after 2 p.m. when Myrtle Beach Police Department officers “observed an individual in a vehicle brandish a firearm while traveling near a planned demonstration in the area.”
The 59-year-old woman, a resident of Surfside Beach, was taken into custody “without incident,” the agency said.
Altercation ensues after driver steals "No Kings" protester's flag in Atlanta suburb
An altercation took place in Marietta, Georgia, on Saturday at a “No Kings” protest after a man pulled up in a black pickup truck, took a protester’s flag, engaged in conflict with protesters and then drove away, as seen in video captured by CNN’s Don Riddell.
Alec Whitaker, the protester whose flag was stolen, recounted the incident to Riddell, describing how he stood on the corner when the man stopped his truck on the road.
“An older gentleman got out and quickly approached me without saying a word. He grabbed my flag and ripped it out of my hands,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker said a 72-year-old man, who was later identified as Greg Davis, tried to help get the flag back but the driver of the truck pushed him down to the ground.
The man threw the flag into the back of his truck, but it then fell out – at which point Whitaker attempted to recover it. “He pulled it back from me, kicked me, snapped my flag over his knee, and threw it in his car before driving away,” Whitaker said. He told Riddell police found the man driving the truck, retrieved the flag and then let him go.
Riddell noted police were called to the scene and took statements from eyewitnesses.
CNN has reached out to Cobb County Police and the Marietta Police Department for comment.
Photos: Signs, costumes and large turnouts at rallies around the US
As some of the earliest “No Kings” demonstrations around the country wrap up, others are just beginning.
Here’s a look at some of the latest images coming into our newsrooms:
What it was like this afternoon at a protest in Marietta, Georgia
A large crowd of protesters gathered along the roadways in Marietta, Georgia, today to participate in the “No Kings Day” protest.
CNN’s team on the ground saw protesters carrying various signs, with messages including, “Honk if you’re NOT in the Epstein files” and, “If you don’t want criminals in the country, don’t elect one.”
Some demonstrators donned costumes — a common theme at rallies across the country today — including a man in an inflatable chicken costume.
There was a notable emphasis on waving US flags at this second iteration of the “No Kings” protest in Marietta. Protesters indicated they were making a conscious effort to reclaim the flag as a symbol for all Americans.
Watch: Scenes from both red and blue states where we saw "No Kings" rallies today
We’ve been reporting on the sheer scale of the “No Kings” demonstrations — not just the size of the largest protests in major cities, but also the number of smaller events we’ve seen in towns across the country.
Here’s a roundup of our footage from red and blue states alike:
“No Kings” rally in Atlanta honors civil rights legacy
Protesters gathered in Atlanta’s Civic Center Saturday morning before marching to the Georgia State Capitol for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide day of action rejecting authoritarianism and defending American democracy.
Kimberly Diemert, an organizer and communications director for the Georgia chapter of 50501, a “decentralized” movement that has helped lead the wave of nationwide protests, reminded the crowd of the city’s role in shaping American ideals.
“Atlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement as well as democracy … we don’t want to lose that,” Diemert said. She urged attendees to remember that “our nation’s democracy is at stake. We are here to say we are a nation that will bow down to no authoritarian rule.”
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts echoed Diemert’s emphasis of the deep historical roots of the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia. “We would not be where we are in this country or the world but for the Civil Rights Movement … so it’s very appropriate, and I think it’s freedom of expression,” Pitts said.
Marchers came from across Georgia to join the protest. Sam Tapley of Lawrenceville shared a message of unity: “There’s no such thing as (an) illegal person. We are brothers and sisters around this world … We should love each other from the heart.”
Saturday’s demonstration set a powerful tone for the national day of protest; a peaceful but urgent call to protect democracy, reject hate, and continue the legacy of those who marched before.
Why Los Angeles protesters are joining "No Kings" demonstration
CNN has been speaking with attendees at a growing “No Kings” demonstration in Los Angeles.
Here’s what we’re hearing:
Immigration rights: Rights for immigrants and a stop to the Trump administration’s sweeping deportation campaign has been a throughline at the demonstration, where many protesters are holding Mexican flags or flags that combine the US and Mexican flags.
A protester named Maria Rivera Cummings, who said she was born in Los Angeles and is of Mexican descent, said the mix of flags shows how “we support where we’re from. We support our culture, and we also love our country.”
Most Americans are the descendants of immigrants, Cummings said, “so we’re all immigrants, and everyone has rights here.”
Gilberto Beas, sitting in front of LA’s city hall, told CNN the protest is “a message for ICE to stop doing what they’re doing.”
Oscar Gaspar said the US needs to establish pathways for immigrants to safely come to the US and fill gaps in the workforce. Gaspar told CNN his mother was a Mexican immigrant who naturalized and became “the proudest American citizen.”
Democracy: Cummings, who works as a real estate appraiser, said she and other protesters are standing up for “the Constitution, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, fair treatment in the courts.”
Remember: Federal immigration raids in Los Angeles triggered massive protests in June. President Donald Trump responded by sending in the National Guard. It was the first time a president had federalized the National Guard against a governor’s wishes since 1965.
Thousands of demonstrators in Minneapolis come from a range of backgrounds, mayor says
Thousands of demonstrators attending “No Kings” rallies in Minneapolis represent people from all different backgrounds who are “rejecting the Trump agenda,” the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
Frey, who was present at the demonstrations, said people are “all rallying around the common cause, and that common cause is each other … Our republic. Because this is all about a whole lot more than just ideology right now.”
While cities draw huge crowds, we're also hearing from smaller protests across the country
While news helicopters and TV crews have showed huge crowds at “No Kings” rallies in major US cities, participants in smaller cities and towns have been documenting their own events via social media sites, vividly showing the scale of today’s anti-Trump protests.
Protesters told CNN they gathered along Main Streets, at major intersections, in municipal parks and on highway overpasses, and in many cases they were struck by the size of the turnout.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, Ann Huebner said the crowd looked twice as big as the first local “No Kings” gathering in June.
In Swansea, Massachusetts, Dennis O’Brien and Anne Clark said they’d protested at the same intersection several times, and today was the largest by far, but “just as friendly, family oriented and joyous!”
In Ashland, Oregon, Joel Lesko said the day was about “joyfully celebrating our love for America, for free speech, for the importance of community and using our voices for diversity and inclusion and democracy.”
Local news reports showed Revolutionary War reenactors in Jefferson City, Missouri; musical performers in Gainesville, Florida; and free copies of the Constitution inside a box labeled “ICE melter kits” in Charleston, West Virginia. And American flags everywhere.
Furloughed federal workers tell CNN why they're protesting
Within the first few hours of the shutdown, James Kirwan, along with many other federal workers, was furloughed. Kirwan spoke with CNN at today’s “No Kings” rally in Washington, DC.
“We work for the public, regardless of the administration. We want to be nonpartisan. We want to be helpful. We want to administer our services,” Kirwan said.
Kirwan, a member of the National Labor Relations Board, attended the event with a group of unionized federal workers.
Paul Osadebe, a lawyer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fair housing office who was placed on administrative leave after speaking out on his concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to limit enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, told CNN he’s “not scared” about retaliation from the administration.
“I refuse to be scared because that’s what they want from us. They want us to be silent,” Osadebe said. “They want us to be in fear and to allow them to get away with everything that they’re doing. And my oath calls on me to tell the truth, period.”
Anthony Lee, who works at the Food and Drug Administration and was furloughed without pay, said he’s come to the demonstration to protect public services.
“I’ve been a public servant for over 20 years, and to see the destruction, really, of our government, our public services, over the last several months has been really scary,” Lee said.
In Toronto, American and Canadian demonstrators say ‘No Tyrants’
As cities across the US host “No Kings” rallies, anti-Trump demonstrators gathered near the US Consulate in Toronto Saturday for a small “No Tyrants” protest.
Julia Buchanan, Toronto chair of Democrats Abroad and one of the demonstration’s volunteers, told CNN the crowd was evenly split between Canadian and American citizens.
At one point, Buchanan said, demonstrators listened to a video message from a former member of Canada’s parliament for the center-left New Democratic Party, Charlie Angus.
“My message to (President) Donald Trump and his gangster regime is ‘Canada will stand up, Canadians will stand up,’” Angus said, according to a recording provided to CNN. “No kings, no tyrants, no fascism – not here, not now.”
Angus is a longtime critic of Trump. While he was in parliament, Angus sponsored a petition calling for Trump ally Elon Musk to be stripped of his Canadian citizenship.
As at past “No Kings”-adjacent protests in Canada, Buchanan explained, Saturday’s rally was aimed at “tyrants” rather than “kings” since Canada’s head of state is King Charles.
Many demonstrators came in colorful costumes after organizers asked them to “dress as the cutest non-violent character you can imagine to defy the false narrative that anti-fascists are terrorists.”
One man dressed as Canada’s national animal, the beaver, had a placard around his neck reading, “Dam Fascists!” Others were dressed in the kinds of inflatable costumes seen at anti-ICE protests in Portland, Oregon, where Trump has attempted to order National Guard troops to suppress demonstrations there.
Most NYC “No Kings” protests have ended, police department says
Most of the demonstrators involved in the “No Kings” protests in New York City have dispersed, according to the New York Police Department, which said traffic closures in the city have been lifted.
“We had more than 100,000 people across all five boroughs peacefully exercising their first amendment rights and the NYPD made zero protest-related arrests,” the department said on X.
Sanders slams Trump and his billionaire allies at DC protest
Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, speaking at Washington, DC’s “No Kings” protest today, said President Donald Trump and his billionaire allies, like Elon Musk, are endangering self-government.
“It is in danger when we have a president who wants more and more power in his own hands and in the hands of his fellow oligarchs,” Sanders told the crowd.
He went on to slam several of Trump’s moves, including his efforts to send US military troops to cities, aggressively crack down on undocumented migrants, intimidate media organizations and retaliate against political opponents.
“This moment is not just about one man’s greed, one man’s corruption or one man’s contempt for the Constitution,” Sanders said. “This is about a handful of the wealthiest people on Earth who, in their insatiable greed, have hijacked our economy and our political system in order to enrich themselves at the expense of working families throughout this country.”
“I am talking about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and the other multi-billionaires who were sitting right behind Trump when he was inaugurated,” Sanders continued.
Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, also took a swipe at Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who in recent days has described the demonstrations as anti-American.
“Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, called these rallies ‘hate America events.’ Boy, does he have it wrong,” Sanders said. “Millions of Americans are coming out today not because they hate America. We’re here because we love America.”
A crowd is already starting to form outside Los Angeles City Hall
Let’s turn now to the West Coast, where CNN also has a crew on the ground in Los Angeles.
The main “No Kings” protest events aren’t scheduled for several hours, but we’re already seeing people gather outside LA City Hall and the nearby Grand Park, holding signs and waving both Mexican and US flags.
The city has been an epicenter for the resistance to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Thousands in Chicago begin marching
Thousands have began marching in Chicago as part of the nationwide “No Kings Day” movement, many carrying Mexican flags and signs like “Hands off our Democracy” and “ICE OUT!”
The Chicago crowd swelled quickly, with people still streaming in as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made an entrance to chants of “JB! JB! JB!”
Among the crowd, Jonathan Englert of Minooka, Illinois, expressed deep concern. “It’s hard not to feel hopeless,” he says. “This is not what America is. It’s not what we stand for, and we got to fight for it right now, or we’re gonna lose it all.”
Dakota Englert, from Coal City, Illinois, said she came to stand up for basic humanity: “We all bleed the same color … I feel for the people that are being separated from their families, the people that are being hurt killed.”
Danielle Guinto, a mother of two, said she came for justice, at home and abroad.
She said she worries about the major federal changes to Medicaid and other health-related policies that could impact her children’s health, as well as the rising cost of living.
“I just don’t understand how you can rip food out of people’s mouths, how you can separate, rip people out of their homes,” she asked. “How can you look at a family with fear in their eyes and you’re just going to go take them away?”
