Demonstrators opposed to President Trump's actions gathered across the country on Saturday to demand change—in spots including New York City; Birmingham, Alabama; and Bozeman, Montana. They carried protest signs and American flags at the rallies that built off the 2,000 or so "No Kings" demonstrations in June. About 600 more rallies were scheduled this time, the New York Times reports, with most of the added sites in rural areas. An organizer said demonstrators are especially driven by Trump's recent moves, including sending federal troops to US cities, ordering immigration raids, and prosecuting political opponents. "We are seeing a difference in the understanding of the general public, that this is a marathon," said Hunter Dunn of the group 50501. Rallies were held in:
- Washington, DC: "I'm pro-American. I'm pro-Constitution. I'm pro-law and order. I'm pro-immigration, legal immigration. I'm pro-First Amendment rights. I'm pro-free expression. All of that is under assault," Robin Brown, 66, told NBC News. A former federal worker dressed like a crying Statue of Liberty said several of her friends were too scared to attend. "They're afraid of persecution. They're seeing these images on television of what ICE are doing around our country, that there's this militarization that's happening in our states," Tara Reel said, adding, "They're afraid for their freedom."
- Birmingham: "It just feels like we're living in an America that I don't recognize," said Jessica Yother. The rally evoked the city's history of civil rights protests, and demonstrators said they were heartened by uniting in a state that Trump overwhelmingly won last November, per the AP. "I walked in and thought, 'Here are my people,'" Yother said.
- Los Angeles: "We're here to fight fascism, and we're not afraid. This is our city and our country," said 25-year-old Jess Sanchez, 25, whose family members have been targeted in immigration raids, per the Los Angeles Times. In Grant Park, a band played a parody of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" with lyrics about the Epstein files.
- Austin: "I was motivated by my mom and my grandmother," said Makayla Beadle, who attended the rally with both of them. "They have been fighting for these values since before I was born and I hope to be able to make the difference that they made in their lifetimes."
- Chicago: "I'm angry—what's happening to my neighbors, my husband is second-generation Latinx," said Andy Thayer, who was distributing signs reading "ICE Out!" Thayer added: "If you don't think it'll affect you, but at some point or another, they will get around you. They are arresting citizens." Melissa Haub responded to GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson's accusation that the rallies are anti-American, per the Washington Post. "I think this is literally the most American thing you can do," she said.
- Oklahoma City: "I was willing to die and lost a leg in a foreign country fighting for their rights," said Army veteran Brian Wofford, who was wounded while serving in Iraq. He wore his green service coat emblazoned with the honors he earned, per USA Today. "There's no way I'm bending the only knee I have left for a king here in America. I can't sit idly by while rights are trampled on and ignored, and people are pushed and treated like second-class citizens," he said.
Rallies also were held in Toronto, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK.