With nearly 7 million attendees, the No Kings protest that took place Saturday, October 18th, upstaged its previous wave that happened earlier this year in June. With over 2,700 gatherings across the US, this protest has made its way to being the second largest single-day protest in US history so far. 

Many of the protests started around noon, traveling into the early hours of the evening before the crowds dispersed. In all of the 50 states, there were no recorded injuries, deaths, or arrests as a result of this event. The purpose of peaceful protests largely revolves around bringing attention to—often national—injustices. Citizens assemble with the intent of strengthening communities, making their voices heard, and changing something they believe to be unfair.

Because the protests hardly left a physical mark on the cities and protesters, the question “Why did they do it?” has come into play. While each of the protesters may have had their own personal motivation for making their way outside, the collective reason is President Donald Trump and the policies he’s enforced within his 10 months as president. Considering the fact that Trump has passed almost 210 executive orders since his inauguration on January 20th, there is no identifiable, singular reason, but many of the signs shared a common theme of the increasing acts of prejudice that have taken place in 2025.

This utilization of the First Amendment demanded the attention of everybody nationwide, and attendees don’t plan on backing down. While there are no set dates for protests in the future, it is still a burning topic in participants minds.

With political tensions being higher than they have in the past few years, protests are an important liberty that should be used to unite and strengthen communities. The right to peacefully assemble is not just a privilege granted in the constitution, it is a vital factor to upholding freedom in the United States.