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In Brief
- The protesters called for action against the bombardment of Iran by the US and Israel.
- With midterm elections later this year, there has been a surge in the number of people organising anti-Trump events.
Massive gatherings of protesters have erupted across the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s governing approach, particularly criticizing his perceived authoritarianism, strict immigration policies, and aggressive stance on Iran.
According to organizers, an estimated 8 million individuals participated in over 3,300 events nationwide, spanning all 50 states. While specific numbers from U.S. authorities remain unconfirmed, the scale of participation underscores the widespread discontent.
This marks the third significant wave of protests in under a year, driven by the grassroots movement known as No Kings. This movement has emerged as a prominent voice against President Trump since the onset of his second term in January 2025.
In New York City, the country’s largest urban hub, tens of thousands gathered, including high-profile figures like Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro. Known for his vocal criticism of Trump, De Niro described the president as “an existential threat to our freedoms and security.”
From the bustling streets of Atlanta to the coastal ambiance of San Diego, the protests spanned the nation, with Alaskans joining later in the day, illustrating the widespread and united opposition to the current administration’s policies.
“No country can govern without the consent of the people,” 36-year-old military veteran Marc McCaughey told Agence France-Presse in Atlanta, where thousands turned out.
“We’re out here because we feel that the Constitution is under threat in a multitude of different ways. Things aren’t normal. They aren’t okay.”
In the Michigan town of West Bloomfield, near Detroit, people braved below-freezing temperatures to protest.
And in the US capital Washington, thousands of marchers — some carrying banners that blared “Trump Must Go Now!” and “Fight Fascism” — flocked to the National Mall.
“He keeps lying and lying and lying and lying, and no one says anything. So it’s a terrible situation we’re in,” 67-year-old retiree Robert Pavosevich told AFP.
Trump himself was in Florida for the weekend.
The anti-Trump mood has spilled beyond US borders, with rallies on Sunday AEDT in European cities including Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome, where 20,000 people marched under a heavy police presence.
‘Dragged us deeper into war’
The first No Kings nationwide protest day came last June on Trump’s 79th birthday and coincided with a military parade he organised in Washington. Several million people turned out, from New York to San Francisco.
The second such protest, in October, drew an estimated seven million protesters, according to organisers, who said Saturday’s events saw one million more participants and 600 additional demonstrations.
Just as Trump is worshipped by many in his “Make America Great Again” movement, he is disliked with equal passion on the other side of America’s wide political chasm.
Trump’s approval rating has sunk below 40 percent and midterm elections loom in November, with his Republican Party at risk of losing control of both chambers of Congress.
Foes bemoan his penchant for ruling by executive decree, his use of the justice department to prosecute opponents, his apparent obsession with fossil fuels and climate change denial.
They also dislike his gutting of racial and gender diversity programs, and his taste for flexing US military power after campaigning as a man of peace.
“Since the last time we marched, this administration has dragged us deeper into war,” said Naveed Shah of Common Defense, a veterans’ association connected to the No Kings movement.
“At home, we’ve watched citizens killed in the streets by militarised forces. We’ve seen families torn apart and immigrant communities targeted. All of it done in the name of one man trying to rule like a king.”
Springsteen in Minnesota
While organisers said rallies were staged across the country, from major cities to suburbs and rural areas — and even in the Alaskan town of Kotzebue, above the Arctic circle — a key focus point was the northern state of Minnesota.
This winter, the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul became ground zero for the national debate over Trump’s violent immigration crackdown.
US politician Bernie Sanders addressed the Minnesota rally, telling the crowd: “We will never accept a president who is a pathological liar, a kleptocrat and a narcissist who is undermining the Constitution of the United States and the rule of law every day.”
Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, a fierce critic of the president, performed his song Streets of Minneapolis in the twin city of St Paul, the capital of the northern state, where thousands gathered.
Springsteen wrote and recorded the protest ballad in just 24 hours in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two US citizens shot dead by federal agents during January protests against Trump’s immigration offensive.
“Their bravery, their sacrifice and their names will not be forgotten,” he said Saturday before breaking into song.
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