Feature photo by Isaiah Grady
By Mikayla Davis
Crowds of locals gathered under the warm fall sun to surround a busy intersection in Raleigh on Saturday, Oct. 18. Signs read, ‘No Kings, No Crowns’ and ‘We the People Serve No One.’ Chants filled the air, and cars honked in response as they passed by.
The demonstration, held along Capital Boulevard between Old Wake Forest Road and Oak Forest Drive, was one of thousands held nationwide to protest various policies of President Donald Trump and actions of his administration. More than 2,700 demonstrations took place across all 50 states, drawing an estimated seven million participants, TIME reported.
The mid-October protest came amid an ongoing government shutdown, adding urgency to demonstrators’ calls for accountability and reform.
Among the crowd were both long-time activists and first-time protesters. Norm Zimmer, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany from 1974 to 1977, said he has been protesting since February and felt compelled to continue.
“I had to be here. Just like the last one and the ones downtown. I love the camaraderie, the people—it’s such a good, invigorating feeling to be with your tribe. These are my people.” –Norm Zimmer, veteran and demonstrator
Zimmer added that, as a veteran, he feels he has a responsibility to speak out.
“I can’t believe we have to go through this agony that one man is putting us through,” he said. “As a veteran, I feel obligated to express my total disgust with Trump and his cronies.”
The No Kings movement began in June of 2025, when a network of progressive organizations helped mobilize over five million people united in opposition to Trump’s agenda, according to NPR.
Both the No Kings demonstrations held in June and October were among the largest single-day protests in U.S. history, as reported by Britannica.
Xavier Robinson, who works with the General Strike Movement, said the No Kings name reflects the growing frustration with what many view as overreaching executive power and the dissemination of democratic rights.
“Part of it is Trump essentially taking actions of a king—grabbing power, retaliating against people, really treating this country like it’s his plaything,” Robinson said.
He added that the slogan also carries historical weight.
“But, of course, there’s also a major historical significance to it,” he said. “This is how this country was founded—under the idea of no taxation without representation, that we the people are stronger as a collective against any one governing force. That’s why there’s so much in the Constitution about it. That’s why the phrase No Kings works.”
More than 200 national organizations and thousands of local groups are part of the coalition behind No Kings, including labor unions like the Service Employees International Union and the Indivisible Project, as reported by The New York Times.
Among the participating organizers is the 50501 Movement, whose name stands for “50 states, 50 protests, one movement.” The group works alongside others in the coalition to coordinate demonstrations.
A statement on the group’s website echoes that sentiment: “Now, he’s doubling down — sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle. This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship. And together, we’re choosing democracy.”
For participants like Coley, an organizer with 50501 NC, involvement is driven by personal connections to the causes the movement represents. Coley, who is of Mexican and Indigenous descent and part of the LGBTQIA+ community, has been organizing since January.
“More Republicans have to stand up. Once enough of them are actually willing to come out and say that they don’t agree with what’s going on, I think it’s for the better. And once that base is starting to disappear, that’s when we’ll really start to see things change.” -Coley, 50501 organizer
Communications Director of The North Carolina Republican Party, Matt Mercer, condemned the demonstrations, referring to them as actions taken by “far-left radicals” that are damaging the country.
“Far-left radical Democrats shut down the federal government to brag at these events—they shut down the government to stop President Trump,” Mercer said in a statement. “These manufactured events do nothing but highlight how out of touch the radical left is with the American people… Democrats must stop holding the government hostage at the expense of military service members, low-income families, and federal law enforcement.”
Nina Leake said she was motivated to attend her first protest to protect women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
“I have three daughters, and I want their rights preserved,” Leake said. “I’ve enjoyed a level of freedom that I think that they should have as well.” Her concern over protecting those freedoms reflected the broader message of the protest to hold leaders accountable and safeguard democratic rights.
She added that she never expected to find herself protesting, but recent events changed that.
“I never thought I’d be at a protest in my entire life. I really didn’t, because I thought as a civilization, we were moving forward,” she said.
Zimmer shared his thoughts on President Trump’s reported use of the military in California to suppress dissent.
“You have the absolute right in the military to disobey illegal orders,” he said. “If I were in the National Guard right now, I’d refuse any order that made them go against the people. The military serves the people, not a king—that’s the way it should be.”
Zimmer said he worries about how new military recruits, particularly those from conservative areas, might respond to orders that violate the Constitution. He noted that recruitment is targeting red states, where many young enlistees are influenced by the political beliefs of their communities before joining.
Providing a touch of comedic relief, Lauren Lassiter attended wearing an inflatable costume to symbolize peace and nonviolence through humor.
“It’s to show that I’m not dangerous—it’s a little humor when we need it most,” she said.
Lassiter shared that her lighthearted approach took on new meaning after she and her wife were harassed for promoting the protest. After she shared a flyer on social media, a man found their personal information and called the school where her wife works.