‘No Kings’ protests live updates: Anti-Trump rallies kick off in UK, Spain, Germany and Sweden before millions set to march in US

Democrats urge Americans to participate in ‘No Kings’ protests.

“In our country, the power is with the people, and tomorrow I encourage everyone to get out there in peaceful protest of what is happening in our country and express our voice around the country we believe in,” former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a video posted to social media.

Democratic senator and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a social media post on Saturday morning: “I say to my fellow Americans this No Kings Day: Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That’s what they want to do. They’re afraid of the truth. Speak out, use your voice, and exercise your right to free speech.”

California Governor advised demonstrators to “do so peacefully, do so thoughtfully because there’s one person who hopes you don’t, that hopes there is disruption…He will exploit that. He will take advantage of that,” he said of the president at a press conference this week.

As millions of protesters are expected to march in Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ rallies, two Republican governors have activated National Guard troops.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote on X on Friday that he was authorizing troops to be in “state active duty” status to “to help keep Virginians safe.”

“With planned protests across the country this weekend, including in Virginia, I want to be clear that Virginians have a fundamental right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but that right does not include the destruction of property, looting, vandalism, disruption of traffic, or violence of any kind—for which there will be zero tolerance,” he wrote.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also activated troops ahead of the protests.

“Today, I directed the Dept of Public Safety and National Guard to surge forces into Austin ahead of an Antifa-linked protest,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “Texas will NOT tolerate chaos. Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested. Law and order will be enforced.”

Political commentator Robert Reich, just 10 days younger than Donald Trump, discussed what he believes to be the president’s ‘big health problem’ that he doesn’t have: hatefulness.

“Hate is corrosive. It eats away at one’s health. It attacks a hater’s central nervous system by releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. It compromises a hater’s cardiovascular system with high blood pressure and heart disease,” Reich, who served as the Secretary of Labor during Bill Clinton’s administration, wrote for The Independent:

“It weakens the immune system, making the hater more vulnerable to all sorts of illnesses. It weakens the gastrointestinal system, causing stomach aches, nausea, and other digestive problems. It leads to difficulties falling and staying asleep. It causes muscle tensions that harm the jaw and neck, such as clenching and teeth grinding, and contributes to headaches and migraines,” he penned.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will headline the Washington, DC “No Kings” rally near the Capitol building in what is expected to be the largest grassroots mobilization since President Trump returned to office.

“People fought and died throughout the history of this country to preserve our democracy. We’re not going to let Trump or anybody else take it away,” the independent senator said in a video on X.

Republicans have labeled the nationwide protests against the Trump administration as “Hate America” rallies and have insisted that Antifa is behind the demonstrations.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference Wednesday that he expected to see ‘Antifa types’ at the demonstrations.

“We call it the ‘Hate America’ rally that’ll happen Saturday. 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 Marxists on full display,” Johnson said.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer last week blamed “the terrorist wing” of the Democratic Party as being responsible for the protests.

“We call it the ‘Hate America’ rally because you’ll see the hate for America all over this thing when they show up,” he said on Fox Business. “The rumor is that [Democrats] can’t end this shutdown because this small but very violent and vocal group is the only one that’s happy about this.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Hannity this week that Antifa was “no different than MS-13 or any gang out there.”

“No Kings” organizers say the protests are meant to stand up to President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.”

The president told Fox Business in an interview that aired Friday: “They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king.”

Meanwhile, Trump has used the government shutdown, which began on October 1, to further his agenda. He’s insisted that he can unilaterally cut federal programs while the White House also tried to fire thousands of federal workers.

Last week, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the mass layoffs of 4,200 federal employees. The judge said the administration had “taken advantage of the lapse in government spending.”

Saturday marks the second round of “No Kings” protests.

The first occurred in June, when in thousands of cities and towns across the country, in large part to protest a military parade in Washington, D.C., which marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday.

Protest organizers at the time called the parade a “coronation,” which was symbolic of what they characterized as Trump’s growing authoritarian overreach.

The protests were largely peaceful, with very few arrests.

Millions of demonstrators across the country are expected to march in the second “No Kings” protests.

The first round of protests, held on June 14, saw more than 5 million demonstrators. This time, organizers expect even larger crowds across over 2,500 locations.

In June, the protests were largely peaceful, resulting in few arrests.

Organizers have emphasized these demonstrations will be peaceful, branding the protests a show of “nonviolent resistance and in defense of democracy.”

Still, several Republican governors have deployed the National Guard ahead of the protests.