In a series of demonstrations across the United States and Europe, thousands of individuals participated in the “No Kings” rallies this past weekend. These protests were primarily aimed at expressing dissent against President Donald Trump’s policies and actions regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported that 74 individuals were arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order after the rally concluded. Additionally, one person was detained on suspicion of possessing a weapon described as a dagger.
Although the majority of protests remained peaceful, tensions escalated in Los Angeles as some demonstrators engaged in violent behavior. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, protesters hurled rocks, bottles, and chunks of concrete at law enforcement officers. Two officers sustained injuries and required medical attention due to being struck by concrete blocks.
Andre Andrews Jr., a Navy veteran and independent journalist, documented the Los Angeles rally and noted that after police issued a dispersal order, tear gas was deployed when protesters refused to disperse. Some individuals, equipped with shields and gas masks, retaliated by throwing the tear gas canisters back at law enforcement. Andrews emphasized that while the peaceful protest served a meaningful purpose, the actions of a few disruptive individuals overshadowed the overall message.
Among those arrested were eight juveniles, and a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty was also taken into custody while engaging in conversation with an officer.
In Denver, police declared an unlawful assembly and used smoke canisters to disperse a small group blocking a roadway. This resulted in at least eight arrests, with a ninth individual being detained for throwing objects at officers.
Nationwide, the rallies spanned from major cities like New York City, home to nearly 8.5 million residents, to smaller towns such as Driggs, Idaho, which has a population of fewer than 2,000. A notable event took place in Minnesota, where music icon Bruce Springsteen headlined a rally at the Capitol lawn in St. Paul, celebrating resistance against Trump’s strict immigration enforcement policies.
According to Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, the organization behind the rallies, protests also occurred in over a dozen countries worldwide. U.S. organizers estimated that previous rounds of No Kings rallies drew millions, with estimates suggesting at least 8 million participants across events this past Saturday.
Levin described the rallies as “powerful, historic, joyful, and boisterous,” indicating a significant level of engagement and activism among participants.
