Cities large and small saw crowds gather Saturday for planned protests against President Trump — events being promoted as "No Kings" demonstrations. The gatherings were timed for the same day Mr. Trump will be attending a military parade in Washington, D.C., to mark the Army's 250th anniversary, and amid heightened tensions with National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles to counter anti-ICE protests there.
Saturday morning, Minnesota officials canceled all of the state's "No Kings" protests after Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in politically motivated shootings targeting the Democratic lawmakers overnight. Police said they found "No Kings" fliers and a list of other potential targets in the suspect's vehicle.
No events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will take place on what is also Mr. Trump's 79th birthday.
In other cities around the country, protests began as scheduled. Many turned out for what was billed as a flagship "No Kings" march and rally in Philadelphia.
Demonstrators gather for the "No Kings" protest against the Trump administration in Philadelphia, on June 14, 2025.
Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images
The demonstrations come on the heels of protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids that ramped up last week, with Mr. Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles as some protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire.
Democratic governors called Mr. Trump's Guard deployment "an alarming abuse of power" that "shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement."
Thousands of protesters gather in downtown Los Angeles for an anti-Trump "No Kings Day" demonstration on June 14, 2025.
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Governors and city officials vowed to protect the right to protest and to show no tolerance for violence.
"New Yorkers may have different emotions right now," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a briefing on Friday. "And they have a right to express that, but we want to be clear you do not have a right to engage in violence and lawlessness."
New York City expected hundreds of thousands of demonstrators to turn out, with multiple protests planned around thee area, organizers said.
What is No Kings Day?The "No Kings" theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement,to support democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Protesters have called for Mr. Trump to be "dethroned" as they compare his actions to that of a king and not a democratically elected president.
According to a statement by the organizers, the No Kings Day of Defiance is intended to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the country's democracy.
At the "No Kings" protest at Denton Square in Denton, TX.
Dawn White/CBS News Texas
The event was promoted by Walmart heiress Christy Walton, herself a billionaire, in a full-page advertisement she took out in The New York Times last Sunday. No Kings Day merchandise has cropped up for sale on Amazon, Temu and other online retailers.
Organizers timed the protests to counter the Army's 250th anniversary celebration, which includes a military parade involving hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers. The parade's has been estimated to cost between $25 million to $45 million, The Army expects the parade attract as many as 200,000 people.
"The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us," the "No Kings" website says. "On June 14th, we're showing up everywhere he isn't — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
Protests were scheduled in nearly 2,000 locations around the country, from the biggest cities to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, organizers said. Demonstrations would include speeches and marches, organizers said in a call Wednesday.
People take part in a "No Kings" protest outside the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, on June 14, 2025.
JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
The group says a core principle behind all "No Kings" events is a commitment to nonviolent action, and organizers urged participants to seek to de-escalate any confrontation.
Organizers said the No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Mr. Trump returned to office. They said they were preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states.
Some states prepare National Guard troopsRepublican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri are mobilizing National Guard troops to help law enforcement manage demonstrations.
There will be "zero tolerance" for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and "if you violate the law, you're going to be arrested," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters Friday.
In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe issued a similar message, vowing to take a proactive approach and not to "wait for chaos to ensue."
Nebraska's governor on Friday also signed an emergency proclamation for activating his state's National Guard, a step his office called "a precautionary measure in reaction to recent instances of civil unrest across the country."
Organizers say that one march would go to the gates of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis warned demonstrators that the "line is very clear" and not to cross it. Another demonstration is set for Fort Lauderdale. Organizers told CBS News Miami they had hundreds of people registered for the event.
Palm Beach sheriff's officers keep protesters from crossing a bridge to President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club during a "No Kings Day" protest on June 14, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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Some law enforcement agencies announced they were ramping up efforts for the weekend. In California, state troopers will be on "tactical alert," which means all days off are canceled for all officers.
Governors also urged calm.
On social media, Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, called for peaceful protests over the weekend, to ensure Trump doesn't send military to the state.
"Donald Trump wants to be able to say that we cannot handle our own public safety in Washington state," Ferguson said.
Multiple rallies were planned for Maryland. Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said multiple departments and agencies have "been carefully monitoring" the upcoming events, and that "safety is our highest priority."
"The ability to freely speak out and assemble is a cornerstone of American democracy—and one of our greatest heirlooms as a state and nation," Moore said, adding that Maryland is "a state that will protect the rights of the people and also uphold the law."
In a statement Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, urged "protestors to remain peaceful and calm as they exercise their First Amendment right to make their voices heard."
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, also a Democrat, said his administration and state police are working with police in Philadelphia ahead of what organizers estimated could be a crowd approaching 100,000 people.
Philadelphia's top prosecutor, District Attorney Larry Krasner, warned that anyone coming to the city to break the law will face arrest. He invoked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as a guide for demonstrators.
"If you are doing what Martin Luther King would have done, you're going to be fine," Krasner told a news conference. He also warned against immigration agents exceeding their authority.
Protest organizer Dani Negrete told CBS News Philadelphia that the "number one priority is making sure that all of these events" are "well organized and peaceful."
"We've been making sure that all of our attendees and organizers know why they're here," Negrete said. "Here in Philadelphia, we're going to have a clear message that rings out across the world about the importance of this moment and the importance of standing up while our right to do that is under threat."
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