After France, the largest protest is set to take place in the United States on October 18th. This protest will be against US President Donald Trump. According to reports, people will gather in over 2,500 locations, and in their millions. This movement has been named “No Kings.”
Notably, a similar protest against Trump took place four months ago. More than five million people took to the streets in cities across America, large and small, to protest President Donald Trump’s expanding executive powers. Let’s find out why this protest is taking place this time.
Why is this movement taking place?
The name “No Kings” itself conveys a message: America is not a country for a king. The protesters believe that Trump is attempting to overstep democratic boundaries and take more power into his own hands. He is ignoring the courts, suppressing dissenting voices, and attempting to censor the media and artists.
The organizing organization, Indivisible, and several labour unions say the protests are against the authoritarian nature of the Trump administration. The recent federal government shutdown has affected the jobs of millions of government employees. Protesters say this is also a ploy by Trump to seize power.
What does “No Kings” mean?
This movement originally began as the 50501 Movement. This means 50 demonstrations in 50 states, one movement. Its purpose is to challenge Trump’s kingly politics. The organizers of this movement say that Trump openly talks about becoming president for a third time and is presenting himself as King Donald. Therefore, people are now taking to the streets again to remind everyone that there are no kings in America.
Who is supporting the movement?
This movement is receiving widespread support from labor unions, government employee organizations, and social organizations. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has also appealed to its more than 800,000 members to join the protests. Republican leaders are calling these demonstrations “Hate America Rally,” meaning anti-national. They allege that the Democratic Party is deliberately delaying the lifting of the shutdown so that this rally can take place first.
