Overview

• Roughly 2,500 No Kings protests are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, across every state and in some international locations, with a flagship event planned outside the U.S. Capitol.
• The coalition behind the events—Indivisible, MoveOn, Public Citizen and the 50501 movement—casts the actions as opposition to what they call authoritarian policies, the government shutdown, and cuts to social programs.
• Host toolkits mandate safety and de‑escalation training, assign visible safety marshals, and coordinate medical and legal volunteers, reflecting an emphasis on peaceful protests after June’s mass turnout.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson and Whip Tom Emmer have branded the rallies a “hate‑America” effort and linked them to antifa or paid protesters, and cabinet members Scott Bessent and Sean Duffy assert Democrats are prolonging the shutdown for the protests, claims organizers dismiss.
• Local plans indicate broad turnout, including more than 100 Michigan communities, dozens of Minnesota sites centered on downtown Minneapolis, and a large Chicago gathering at Grant Park’s Butler Field.