If anyone hadn’t noticed—and most everyone has—“The Resistance” arrived full-blown on June 14 as thousands upon thousands of “No Kings” demonstrators took to the streets, plazas and sidewalks across the U.S. Not only in every state and every significant sized city, but in tiny towns and suburbs—over 2,000 actions nationwide, 500 of which were put together in just the week before the event. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to let the so-called “President,” Trump, know exactly what they thought about him, his Republican accomplices, and his cruel, inhuman, destructive policies.

What was crystal clear was the joy people had at these rallies, marches and gatherings. There was palpable relief people felt and expressed in taking action against the atrocities Trump and his henchmen are propagating against those least able to fight back, which is the act of a coward.

What follows are reports from participants in demonstrations across the nation.

From Oakland, Calif.

The June 14, the “No Kings” demonstration was one of the biggest in Oakland’s history — some estimate 15 to 20 thousand. It was one of many in the San Francisco Bay Area. It followed the previous ones with several of the same themes as the “Hands Off” demonstration of April 5 and vigil on June 10—but this one was considerably bigger.

The stakes are very high. In addition to expressing solidarity with LA immigrants we are also concerned with the many who are disappearing or living in fear right here. We are very aware of the war Trump is waging against California, especially against immigrants, who are an important part of every fiber of our society: not just as health and farm workers (many in the most hazardous and low-paying jobs) but in every aspect of life in our city and state.

The attack on immigrants is a spear of this fascist government’s war on ordinary people struggling over the conditions of life and labor and our essential freedoms. Trump wants to erase the long history of the fight for civil rights, human rights, labor and women’s rights and even the minimal protection of the environment: safe air and water, food, etc.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF FIGHTING BACK

What amazed me was the sobriety of the people attending the demonstration. They showed a courage and seriousness in standing up to the growing threat of violence being stoked by leaders of this country against any open opposition. I noticed almost immediately (since I was a part of the small safety team) that there was not a single uniformed policeman anywhere in the vicinity. Yet there were no violent incidents.

We had training in de-escalation to handle any issues, but by and large it was not used. Car drivers co-operated by turning onto side streets or making U-turns. Only a couple of people (in bright vests, but obviously not police) were standing in the crosswalk, blocking the main streets. We were aware of the history of violent drivers running down marchers, and it happened in Riverside, but not here.

I was one of three who stood on Broadway at 7th Street. A large black SUV with tinted windows did flash its lights at us and then drove toward us but stopped a couple of feet in front of us. The driver explained that he is security for a celebrity singer, and they need to get to a hotel. I accepted his explanation, but there was no way he could drive down Broadway, not even for a celebrity. He chose to drive the wrong way on a one-way street to get to the hotel.

The crowd was so large that when the head of the demonstration reached the end of the march, about a mile from the start, the tail end has not yet even started walking. People were leaving as more people were pouring in. It showed that we are not about to be paralyzed by fear when what is at stake is our humanity and solidarity with fellow human beings.

–Urszula

From Battle Creek, Mich.

I took part in the “No Kings” demo here in BC (Crick Bottle) at the mall shopping district on Beckley Road, just south of I-94. There were several hundred, maybe a thousand people or more. This is the biggest demo I have ever been to here. People lined the street with creative, colorful signs. Gaza, Immigrants, Democracy, LGBTQ, and “Pigman” (Trump) were among the issues represented.

Most drivers going by supported the demo, only a very small number made obscene gestures as they drove by.

As it was winding down, I heard a commotion behind me and saw a Trump supporter arguing with a demonstrator. The cop came over and told the Trumper to move away 50 feet. The poor guy looked so lonely—he was all by himself with his flag. It was ironic as well, as there were hundreds of flags being displayed by the demonstrators. Other than this, the cops stayed in the background. Everyone was well-behaved. I passed out about 50 leaflets.

A few weeks ago, I said that if 150 people in BC are marching against Trump, he’s in trouble, and now 1,000 are marching.

–Little Brother of Heavenly Fighting Spirit

From Evanston, Ill.

Evanston is not a huge Chicago suburb, only about 75,000 people live here; nevertheless, thousands came out to proclaim “No Kings,” but very specifically we meant—as you could tell by the signs—No Trump! No Fascism! No Authoritarianism! When asked his estimate of the crowed, a city worker whose truck was positioned to block cars from Davis Street, told me that he thought more than 4,000 attended, and he added: “More than we thought would attend.”

What struck me was how happy people were to be there, to be with people who wanted to fight Trumpism, wanted to end the purposeful cruelty, wanted to be with others who cherished other human beings. As one sign stated: “Deport Hate, Not People.”

To me, the demand to “deport hate,” speaks not only to what is happening to immigrants, although they are the people Trump is attacking most openly, cruelly, and, tragically, efficiently. But his hate reaches almost all of us—women; minorities; the LGBTQ community, especially Trans; people living with disabilities; basically anyone who isn’t rich, white, and ruthless.

The crowd included many people of color and it appeared that a thin majority of the demonstrators were older, although there was also an impressive number of families, many with young children. Those who have disparaged boomers should rethink their prejudice as those with canes, in wheelchairs, etc., were determined that their voices be heard.

–Cane-wielding demonstrator

From Los Angeles

I left the protest at around 4:00 p.m., after more than two hours. I had walked two or three blocks away when I noticed five police cars behind me turn on their sirens and head towards the NON-VIOLENT protest. I heard later they went in to break up some problem or other, and that cops on horseback had started shooting rubber bullets into the crowd. Maybe the problem was that the city’s permit to use the street only went until around 2:00 or so. But the curfew wasn’t going to start until 8:00 p.m.

My neighbor, who left a little later, said that cops on horseback had circled around her and other people, in front of the Federal Building, and, she said, she had no idea why. She said it was scary.

The news and instagram vids showed that hundreds of cops, on foot and horseback, had advanced on the people still left at the demonstration, and had set off smoke bombs. I saw a man, maybe in his 70s, approach a cop on horseback and yell at him, and then the cop shoved him, hard, into the protesters behind him.

–Anna Maillon

The few images of LA protests yesterday that did hit the front pages were of tear-gassy chaos at dusk. The Wall Street Journal did a whole photo essay of the U.S., showing dozens of cities in the nation with peaceful festive protests, and they showed one image of LA in tear gas at dark with menacing cops—one photo for the whole city despite at least 20 other peaceful protests in the county with tens of thousands of people. I went to both the downtown and Los Feliz demos.

These photos aren’t fake news or AI. I was there. I saw the whole thing with my own eyeballs.

Bear in mind: the police closed all the entrances to all the downtown metro rail stations in the middle of the day. It’s amazing how thousands of people got there, including myself—right as 30 LAPD SUVs screamed by on Olive heading toward city hall, shutting down the metros, which trapped and stranded people. Then they started giving orders to disperse and…bad protesters! I had to figure the situation out with 5% phone charge.

–Tracy C.

From McHenry County, Ill.

McHenry County, a northern suburb of Chicago, had two wonderful events last weekend. The first, No Kings Day, occurred at a busy intersection, with literally thousands of sign-carrying, shouting and waving protesters making their feelings and thoughts known. Signs ranged from four-letter greetings to Trump to calls for democracy.

In this Republican-dominated county the spirit was great, with neighbors happily greeting so many others after too much feeling of isolation. Two hours of yelling and having passing drivers supporting us felt sooo good.

The next day, in the town of Woodstock 1,000 or more participated in a joyous Pride festival, marching in a parade, wearing rainbow colors, enjoying each other’s company hand in hand, arm in arm. Though no political speeches took place, our presence in full diversity was its own statement.

–Participant

From Memphis

I’ve posted 19 videos from our demonstration in Memphis, and I will put up photos soon. It went for longer than the scheduled three hours.

–Artemis

From Detroit and Lansing Mich.

Detroit was great. I’m estimating 3,000. There were huge demonstrations in Livonia and Ferndale and smaller but active demonstrations in Roseville, Dearborn, Sterling Heights, Belleville! I’m sure I’m missing some.

The cool thing about the Detroit one is, compared to the “Hands Off” demonstration, this one was much more diverse and there were many more younger people.

–SS or MC

As an elder I was unable to venture out yesterday, but I stood with the millions locally, nationally and worldwide who were not silent. We build on what is positive and struggle out the line questions along the way. It starts my day with hope and RESOLVE! STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO US ALL. ALWAYS.

–PTB

Photos from the top of the Capitol steps in Lansing. Estimates of crowd size run from 5,000-10,000. Heather from the Michigan Coalition Against Genocide is speaking at the podium. Others from the Coalition are holding our banner in front of her. Heather’s speech was very clear on the link between the fight against fascism in the USA and the fight for Palestinian liberation. She got great applause.

–SS or MC

News and Letters Committees flyer for the No Kings demonstrations:

Beyond Anti-Trump to New Beginnings

Trump’s militarized incursion into Los Angeles is meant to terrorize and criminalize immigrant workers and to provoke a reaction to justify martial law. The brutal ICE raids and detentions of individuals and families evoked massive protests and resistance. In the absence of an actual insurrection, Trump simply declared an emergency that did not exist. He used that pretext to take over California’s National Guard and send 4,000 of them plus 700 marines to Los Angeles, against the pleas of local and state authorities, hoping to provoke even more resistance. His henchmen Stephen Miller and Vice President J.D. Vance have been tossing around the word “insurrection,” since their whole gang wants to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to impose martial law.

Trump’s gang speaks of upholding the law when every day they break laws and the Constitution and violate fundamental rights, and the convicted felon himself pardoned the rioters who tried to end democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. They call protests an invasion, when they ordered an armed invasion of Los Angeles, and threatened to invade other cities. They scream about violence while unleashing violence against people defending those fundamental rights.

Every step toward dictatorship is a test, and depends on the population to surrender. While many politicians and business leaders—including the businesses of universities and media—have folded, the fightback from ordinary working people outside Trump’s base is widespread and intense. Already, powerful expressions of solidarity with brutally detained immigrants, and their supporters who braved tear gas and rubber bullets, broke out in Los Angeles and across the country. Millions will come out for No Kings Day to demonstrate their opposition to this drive for authoritarianism.

TRUMP’S ATTACK ON FREEDOM IDEAS

Trump’s drive is not only an attack on people’s bodies—immigrants, women, workers, Trans people, people with disabilities, Black and Brown people, and supporters of Palestine. It is at the same time an attack on minds, with a barrage of propaganda and the suppression of teaching and discussion of all the freedom movements and their ideas, past and present. So let us not disarm ourselves of the powerful weapon of freedom ideas. Part of our struggle is to develop and discuss ideas of liberation, including questioning how we can go beyond fighting against Trump to what we are for. Can we transform the resistance to authoritarianism into a drive for new human beginnings? Not just to restore the institutions that gave such a monster a path to the very top, but to transform society from the bottom up? To set the stage for a society based on new human relations, where that monstrosity would be halted, not encouraged?