Amid government shutdown, ICE raids and troop deployments, Saturday's 'No Kings' protests could be biggest in US history

The "No Kings" demonstrations planned across the US on Saturday are expected to be the largest since Donald Trump began his second term as president in January—and possibly in US history.

More than 2,500 cities, suburbs and small towns across the country will hold marches and demonstrations, with around 10 "anchor cities"—including New York, Chicago and San Francisco—hosting the largest gatherings with prominent speakers, and bringing together a broad spectrum of those opposing the Trump administration.

This mass mobilisation comes as the Trump administration is continuing efforts to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-run cities and states, threatening immigrants with deportation through ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids, and leaving healthcare and other services in limbo during a shutdown.

"What's happening right now is fanning the flames. People who would normally just yell at their TV are choosing to be vocal," Jordan Esparza-Kelley, communications coordinator with the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The New Arab.

"On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people," reads the event description on the website of Indivisible, one of the main organisers of Saturday's demonstrations.

Some "No Kings" ads are encouraging participants to wear yellow, drawing on historic opposition movements with colour themes. Many protesters are also planning on waving the American flag, in an effort to reclaim patriotic symbols from the right. The "No Kings" slogan itself is a reference to the US Constitution, which explicitly rejects monarchy.

"I'm proud to go. The organisers have been training in nonviolent action, trying to emulate the civil rights movement," David Frank, a professor of rhetoric and political communication at the University of Oregon, told TNA. "I am hopeful that the movement will anchor the protest in political and economic equality."

Speaking at a town hall Wednesday evening, progressive leader Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said, "Maybe more people are coming out than at any time in American history."

On the other end of the political spectrum, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described the planned demonstrations as the "hate America rally" in public comments aired on CSPAN last Friday.

"Let's see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxist in full display," he said.

Though some critics have characterised these gatherings as violent, they have largely remained peaceful, with local residents often serving as safety marshals.

On the other hand, many demonstrators will be gathering to protest what they see as state-sanctioned violence against civilians, including crackdowns on immigrants, pro-Palestinian student protesters and opponents of the Trump administration.

"This will be a rally of people from diverse communities, including our community. The Trump peace plan is really the Trump takeover disguised as a peace package," Mirvette Judeh, chair of the Arab American Caucus of California, told TNA.

"They feel the constitution is being abused, and people don't feel safe. A lot of people are concerned Trump will be running for a third term," she said.

Anti-Trump activists have been working to grow their tent to include all opposition—from the far left to moderate and anti-Trump Republicans. Many have pointed to the 3.5% rule, a concept advanced by professors Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, which says that if 3.5 per cent of a country’s population engages in nonviolent resistance, the government is likely to fall.

"I think it's very important, because when you read people who write about states that descend into autocracy and fascism, it takes about 3.5 per cent of the population to demonstrate to put off the people who are trying to take over. The more vocal it is, and so long as it’s not violent, it can be very successful," Jamie Ramsay, a retiree in San Francisco, told TNA.

"I think with a lot of people showing a lot of resistance and saying they want their country back, it's going to be possible to affect things," Ramsay said, adding that he's Canadian and still has his Canadian passport.

He says he expects Saturday to be "just a legal, quiet, big demonstration, just showing that there’s an awful lot of people that don't believe what's happening is right."

Esparza-Kelley says he's even more interested in seeing what happens with the protest movement after Saturday.

"I think what happens after the rally is even more important than before. It will create political homes for people who want to be involved," he said.