PinnedUpdated June 14, 2025, 8:26 p.m. ETProtesters filled plazas, streets and parks across the country on Saturday, mounting a mass mobilization that called for protecting American democracy from a president that many opponents accused of overreaching the powers of his office. The demonstrations set off in waves as the day progressed, in small towns and major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, the heart of a surging protest movement against President Trump.Some 2,000 events, organized under the slogan “No Kings,” were planned across all 50 states, animated by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, federal spending cuts and Mr. Trump’s military parade in Washington, which coincided with his 79th birthday. Many demonstrators struck patriotic themes, waving American flags or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Some rallies had wrapped up on the East Coast, but they were still underway in Los Angeles.Speakers at a rally outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn. paid tribute to State Representative Melissa Hortman, the Democratic lawmaker who was assassinated overnight by a person pretending to be a police officer. Organizers called off other rallies in the state as investigators said the attacker, who remained at large, may have also planned to target the protests.Many of the events drew large crowds, but confrontations with the police were rare. In Houston, some demonstrators handed out flowers to police officers who were securing the route of the protest. Other rallies, like in Whittier, Calif., a suburb southeast of Los Angeles, and Raleigh, N.C., took on the feel of a dance party, as demonstrators blasted lively music.Tensions flared in Los Angeles, however, when protesters faced the National Guard and Marines guarding a federal building. Police issued a dispersal order in one section of downtown and officers launched tear gas at protesters.As some demonstrations began to wrap up, pockets of protesters resisted leaving. In Charlotte, N.C., police sprayed a chemical irritant at protesters attempting to move past a line of officers after the official end of the protest. Three people were arrested in a separate rally against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Pittsburgh, as well as eight others conducting a similar protest in a northern Atlanta neighborhood. And in Chicago, a two-hour standoff between hundreds of protesters and police ended without incident.Other demonstrations were impacted by counter protesters. In Springfield, Ohio, where Haitian immigrants have been vilified by the administration, a man wearing a Trump T-shirt was arrested after a confrontation with protesters. And in Culpeper County, Va., a 21-year-old man was arrested and accused of intentionally driving his vehicle through a crowd of protesters leaving a demonstration. At least one person was struck by the vehicle, but no injuries were reported.Here’s what else to know:Military parade: No Kings organizers avoided calling for demonstrations in Washington, where the military parade was being held despite a forecast of thunderstorms. Mr. Trump previously warned that anyone seeking to protest at the parade would be met with “very big force.”Texas Capitol cleared: The authorities in Texas temporarily closed off the State Capitol and its grounds in Austin after what they described as a “credible threat” directed at state legislators who were expected to attend the protest. A person was taken into custody in connection with the threat, according to a law enforcement official in Texas. Read more ›Los Angeles crackdown: In the months before the immigration raids in Los Angeles, the Trump administration and immigrant rights groups had been preparing for conflict. Then the message arrived: “ICE is here,” one father wrote. “They’re going to take us.” Read more ›Detained by Marines: Marcos Leao, a 27-year-old Army veteran, was briefly held by U.S. Marines outside of a federal building in Los Angeles. The move was noteworthy because federal troops are rarely seen detaining U.S. civilians, even temporarily. Read more ›June 14, 2025, 8:29 p.m. ETSamuel Rocha IVReporting from San AntonioThousands of people are leaving downtown San Antonio as the No Kings protest comes to an end there, although some are still holding up signs and playing music in Travis Park. There have been no reports of any violence during the three hour event.June 14, 2025, 8:22 p.m. ETA demonstration in Philadelphia. Organizers of the No Kings demonstrations called on participants to focus on “nonviolent action.”Credit...Kriston Jae Bethel for The New York TimesIt was not only President Trump’s immigration crackdown that drew thousands of Americans to protests around the country on Saturday, or just the military parade that Mr. Trump had planned for the evening. In dozens of interviews over the course of the day, protesters in more than 20 cities shared many other reasons they had shown up to speak against the president and his policies.For Vinnie Walsh, 82, of Auburn, Mass., it was “the whole nine yards — the loss of decency, courtesy, compassion, democracy.” Laurae Carpenetti, 54, a physician from the Atlanta suburbs, said that Mr. Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his top health official was her motivating factor.Jerry Herrejon, 38, of Chicago, said he was protesting proposed cuts to Medicaid, and Meredyth Sparks, 53, an artist from Queens, said she was most concerned about policies that limited the rights of transgender people.For many, it was not their first time protesting since Mr. Trump took office in January. Tony Font, 70, of Dallas, said it was his fourth such protest. He was born in Cuba and came to the United States as a child in the 1960s, and he said the events of the past few months had reminded him of the authoritarian government that caused him to flee his native country.Protestors gathered in roughly 2,000 communities.“What I’m seeing going on now is exactly the same thing that I saw in Cuba when I was a kid,” said Mr. Font, a retired teacher. “People getting arrested on the street for no reason, neighbors watching neighbors and telling on them, and the government concentrating power.”Others attending protests said that being with like-minded people was giving them a burst of energy and enthusiasm after a long period of gloom. In Waukesha, Wis., which leans conservative, Becky Gilligan, 44, said she was exhilarated by the size of the crowd there.“To see this many people is absolutely incredible in such a red place,” she said. “Around here, I mean, I feel like I definitely do keep my politics more to myself, unless I know that the person is trusted.”Some protesters were somber, like the woman in Austin wearing a long red dress and white bonnet inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the dystopian Hulu series based on the novel by Margaret Atwood. Others were festive, like those drumming and dancing despite steady rain in Springfield, Mass., or blowing bubbles in Culver City, Calif.In Portland, Ore., where several demonstrations merged into one and protesters marched peacefully downtown, the mood was serious, but also laced with a kind of buoyant joy. Terrill Grubbs, a 66-year-old resident of the city, paused to take in the crowd, saying, “We the people are the government, and it is thrilling to be part of this.”Protests in Los Angeles have been taking place for days leading up to Saturday’s events.Credit...Philip Cheung for The New York TimesThe news that a Democratic state representative in Minnesota was assassinated overnight horrified protesters like Mitch Atias, 71, of Queens, but it did not deter them from making their voices heard. Mr. Atias, a retired high school science teacher, said he was motivated by the domestic policy bill moving through Congress, a top priority for Mr. Trump, that would slash taxes while cutting health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs.“I don’t think we’ll be listened to here,” Mr. Atias said. “But if enough people come out all across the country, maybe the elected leaders will listen. What else can I do?”June 14, 2025, 8:16 p.m. ETAs protesters continue to march through parts of downtown Los Angeles, it’s a normal day in other areas. Grand Central Market, a popular food hall in downtown, was bustling with customers, including people who had protested earlier. At a bar in the market, people were having beers while watching live coverage of protesters just blocks away.June 14, 2025, 8:16 p.m. ETThe Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly near the federal buildings in downtown. The declaration allows the police to arrest people who do not disperse.June 14, 2025, 8:15 p.m. ETThings were much quieter now in Philadelphia after a small protest that originated in front of the Federal Detention Center here. The police presence in Center City has diminished significantly and there were buses of police leaving the area around the Federal Detention Center. Officers with the Department of Homeland Security were still manning the door but there was no more protest activity.June 14, 2025, 8:07 p.m. ETThe area around the L.A. City Hall, just a few hours ago a scene of joyous protest, was now a scene of disorder. Behind the building, sheriff’s deputies were launching tear gas canisters and firing non-lethal projectiles into the crowd. Parts of the crowd retreat. Some hold their ground. Some have gathered around an impromptu first aid station, flushing their burning, gas choked eyes.VideoCreditCredit...Richard Fausset/The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 7:49 p.m. ETAbout 150 mostly black-clad and masked protesters carrying anti-ICE slogans on banners and flags amassed in front of the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. They marched through Center City for about 30 minutes before confronting police on Walnut Street. At least three marchers were detained.June 14, 2025, 7:35 p.m. ETA large group of protesters marched through the streets of Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles, in the opposite direction of the federal buildings where a dispersal order had been issued. Many business and storefronts were boarded up after protesters marched through the neighborhood earlier this week, but the group remained peaceful.June 14, 2025, 7:24 p.m. ETThe Seattle Police Department said that “tens of thousands” of demonstrators had shown up for the No Kings protest and that the crowd spanned more than 1.5 miles of roadway during a march through the city. As the event continued, the department noted that there was “not a single report of property damage.”June 14, 2025, 7:12 p.m. ETLocal police, including some on horses, have started to push thousands of protesters down the street away from the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. There are loud bangs from dispersal munitions as protesters yell, “Peaceful protest!” This is the first major escalation of the day.June 14, 2025, 7:19 p.m. ETPolice have deployed tear gas in downtown Los Angeles as some protesters plead with them to stop. It’s unclear what prompted officers to move in with force.VideoCreditCredit...Orlando Mayorquín/The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 7:11 p.m. ETRobert ChiaritoReporting from ChicagoA group of protesters outside a federal building on Clark Street, where many immigrants go to check in, has prompted a large police response. The protesters are holding Mexican flags and upside down American flags next to the building while a large contingent of Chicago Police officers on bicycles keeps anyone else from joining them.June 14, 2025, 6:57 p.m. ETAs tensions rise in downtown Los Angeles, the police have issued a dispersal order for a section of Alameda Street near federal buildings, where protesters have gathered.June 14, 2025, 6:57 p.m. ETWith only a few hours to go before downtown Los Angeles falls again under an 8 p.m. curfew, Hydee Feldstein Soto, the Los Angeles city attorney, issued a reminder that the city will arrest and prosecute anyone who tags, vandalizes, loots, throws rocks, disobeys police or otherwise disrupts public safety — including with fireworks, which were starting to go off downtown and were illegal in fire-prone Los Angeles.Credit...Philip Cheung for The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 6:55 p.m. ETIt’s late afternoon here in Portland, Ore., and protesters have been at it for going on six hours. The crowd is much smaller, but still energetic as demonstrators move through downtown.June 14, 2025, 6:49 p.m. ETRobert ChiaritoReporting from ChicagoThe standoff between a few hundred protesters and the Chicago Police has ended with the protesters dispersing without incident. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the group had been blocked from marching because the permit for the main protest on Saturday had expired. “There was no violence,” he said. “There were no arrests.”June 14, 2025, 6:39 p.m. ETThe nationwide No Kings protests were organized by more than 200 groups.Credit...Jordan Gale for The New York TimesThe No Kings protests sweeping the country Saturday were coordinated by more than 200 organizations, including political, environmental and labor advocacy groups, according to the demonstrators’ website.Among the most prominent organizers were progressive groups like 50501, Indivisible and the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of the groups involved also helped plan the “Hands Off!” protests in April, which called on the Trump administration to stop threatening Social Security, health care and education.Indivisible and 50501 were both created in response to President Trump’s policies. Indivisible started as an online document that provided guidance on how to organize locally and pressure elected officials to reject Mr. Trump’s policies. The 50501 movement grew from a Reddit community that was created on Jan. 25, days after Mr. Trump’s second inauguration. (Its name is short for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.”)Protesters gathered outside the State Capitol of Georgia.Credit...Dustin Chambers for The New York TimesIndivisible has since expanded its reach to over 200,000 followers on Instagram; 50501 has more than 400,000 followers on the platform.The larger groups have helped mobilize protests since the beginning of Mr. Trump’s second term and focused on issues like mass layoffs in the government work force and cuts to Medicaid. The protests this past week against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown included some organizations that had more explicit support for racial justice, Palestinian freedom and socialist politics, such as local chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.The demonstrations on Saturday were named No Kings to refer to what organizers see as authoritarian overreach by Mr. Trump and his administration. The No Kings website says the administration has “defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights and slashed our services.”The protests were called No Kings because organizers believe that the Trump administration has “defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights and slashed our services.”Credit...Victor J. Blue for The New York TimesOrganizers coordinated protests in nearly 2,000 places across the country, according to the website. They occurred on the same day as a military parade in Washington, D.C., which organizers called a “display of dominance.” No protest events were scheduled in the capital in order to avoid drawing attention to the parade. The demonstrations coincide with Mr. Trump’s 79th birthday.Organizers canceled protests in Minnesota on Saturday as law enforcement officials searched for a suspect in the assassination of a Democratic state legislator and the attempted assassination of another. A large crowd still gathered outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday afternoon.People showing support for demonstrators in San Francisco. Credit...Loren Elliott for The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 6:37 p.m. ETIn Culpeper County, Va., a 21-year-old man was arrested earlier Saturday and accused by police of intentionally driving his vehicle through a crowd of protesters leaving a demonstration. At least one person was struck by the vehicle, according to the Culpeper Police Department, but no injuries were reported to law enforcement.June 14, 2025, 6:34 p.m. ETThere is a tense confrontation between protesters and federal forces, including the Marines and National Guard, on the front steps of the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. Protesters are chanting, “Shame on you” as authorities with riot shields slowly push them back.Credit...Orlando Mayorquin/The New York TimesJune 14, 2025, 6:33 p.m. ETThe protest is getting bigger outside the State Capitol in Austin. Abhiram Garapati, 50, was one of the few people expressing support for President Trump. Some people rolled their eyes, but most walked past him without much notice. “I stood in line for 15 years to get my citizenship,” he said, adding that he immigrated from India and was running for Congress. Of the migrants being deported, he said, “They are arrested because they did some violent crimes or something. We need to respect our law enforcement.”June 14, 2025, 6:28 p.m. ETSamantha LatsonReporting from ManhattanThe protest that started at Bryant Park in Manhattan has dispersed.June 14, 2025, 6:27 p.m. ETSamuel Rocha IVReporting from San AntonioThe No Kings protest kicked off in San Antonio with the U.S. national anthem. American flags were heavily present along with chants of “USA.”June 14, 2025, 6:22 p.m. ETOne of the attendees at a demonstration in Idaho is Pam Hemphill, who was convicted for her role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but then later refused President Trump’s pardon. No longer a Trump supporter, Hemphill posted photos of herself at the demonstration in Boise wearing a “resist” T-shirt.June 14, 2025, 6:13 p.m. ETFranny Lesniak, a 58-year-old retired therapist from an Austin suburb, said that while she was horrified by the Minnesota murders, she believed it was important not to be deterred by fear. “I’m going to keep exercising my rights,” Lesniak said. She was among the hundreds gathered outside the Capitol in Austin. While she understood that immigration laws needed to be followed, she said she was troubled by the lack of due process.June 14, 2025, 6:02 p.m. ETLaw enforcement closed the Texas Capitol after state police said there was a threat to lawmakers.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York TimesA person was taken into custody on Saturday afternoon in connection with what the Texas Department of Public Safety said was a “credible threat” to the safety of state lawmakers attending an anti-Trump protest in Austin, according to a law enforcement official.The threat had prompted the temporary closure of the Texas State Capitol grounds, and the law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation, said the person taken into custody was found in the town of La Grange, Texas, between Austin and Houston.The threat came after shootings that killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounded another Minnesota lawmaker and his wife early on Saturday.The Texas Department of Public Safety sent a warning to Texas lawmakers early Saturday afternoon and said it was concerned about people who could be inspired by the Minnesota killings.The message to lawmakers, sent around 1 p.m. Central time, said the Minnesota attack “seems to be an isolated incident.”“However, we’re always concerned about copycats and those who this attack might inspire,” it read.“I received it and I was like whoa, it could easily have been one of us, easily,” said State Representative Ron Reynolds, a Houston-area Democrat who was in Houston on Saturday and spoke at a protest that attracted roughly 15,000 people.“You have to take it seriously,” Mr. Reynolds said, adding that what happened in Minnesota was “awful.”“It’s a threat to democracy. But it’s real. We can’t let them silence us, but we have to be vigilant,” he said.Around 4:45 p.m., lawmakers received another update from the state police saying they had “addressed the earlier reported threat” and that the Capitol grounds had been reopened.June 14, 2025, 5:51 p.m. ETIn Southern California, the No Kings marches underscore the shifting demography of the region. Whittier, a suburb southeast of Los Angeles, was once mostly white, heavily Republican and known as the place where former President Richard M. Nixon grew up. Now Latinos make up about two-thirds of the population and close to half of all registered voters are Democrats.