Organizers say more than 2,600 demonstrations are planned nationwide, coordinated by a coalition of over 200 progressive groups led by Indivisible.
Major protests are set for Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Participants are being urged to wear yellow “to show collective strength in the face of oppression,” according to organizers, who accuse the Trump administration of “sending militarized agents into our communities, silencing voters, and handing billionaires giveaways while families struggle.”
The protests follow mounting criticism of Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard and deploy troops to multiple US cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago.
A federal judge blocked the Guard’s street deployment in Chicago but allowed units to remain under federal control.
At the same time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified raids targeting undocumented workers in areas where day laborers gather, such as Home Depot parking lots.
Progressive leaders call the tactics “state intimidation” and “a test of how far Trump will push federal authority.”
Republicans have denounced the demonstrations, labeling them “unpatriotic.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News the protests are being driven by “the pro-Hamas wing and the Antifa people,” accusing Democrats of delaying government funding talks to appease activists.
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said, “The agitators show up. We’ll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it.”
When asked about the demonstrations, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson replied dismissively, “Who cares?”
Trump, meanwhile, is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he attended a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser.
“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump told Fox News in an interview Friday.
For many opponents, Trump’s words highlight what they see as the core issue: a president behaving as if he is above the law.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen wrote on Bluesky that Republicans are “the same kind of weasels who would’ve called George Washington and America’s revolutionaries ‘terrorists.’”
The protests coincide with an 18-day government shutdown that has shuttered key federal programs and sparked fears of creeping authoritarianism under Trump’s leadership.
Organizers say the demonstrations are not only about government overreach but also about restoring checks and balances eroded by what they describe as Trump’s “imperial presidency.”
Democratic leaders including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders are supporting the movement, framing it as a “love America rally” against autocracy.
“It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom, and are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society,” Sanders said.
The “No Kings” movement has expanded rapidly since June, when the first nationwide demonstrations were held during the Army’s 250th anniversary parade.
Organizers say the growing scale — from 1,300 rallies in April to over 2,600 this weekend — shows a rejuvenated opposition to Trump’s power plays.
“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed Republican claims that the rallies were “anti-American.”
“What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack.
“What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like — people showing up to oppose the extremism Donald Trump has unleashed on the American people.”