Thousands took to the streets of Milwaukee to protest the Trump administration on Oct. 18 with the organization “No Kings.”
An estimated 15,000-18,000 people listened to speakers and participated in a march around downtown.
The message of the No Kings Protests? America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
“No Kings” aims to reject what the organizers say is the administration’s “authoritative” agenda, according to their website.
Since Trump took office in January, he has ramped up immigration enforcement, cut the budget of USAID and attempted to end birthright citizenship, which are only a few of the executive orders he has issued this year.
Reaction to “No Kings” Protests
Back in February, the White House posted an image on the social platform X mimicking a “Time” magazine cover depicting Trump wearing a crown, with the words “Long Live The King” at the bottom.
The day of the No Kings protest, Trump posted an AI video of him dropping human feces on the American people.
Protestors at the Milwaukee protest and all over the country were dressed in various costumes, many utilizing inflatable costumes, to help demonstrate the peaceful nature of these protests.
Wisconsin alone had 60 cities participating in the protest, with over 2500 protests taking place across the country, some even stretching into Europe, where people saw protests in London and Berlin.
This protest was larger than the previous one in June, which saw around 1800 protests nationwide.
Fred Hall, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was there, “to rally against the injustices of defunding education and censorship, and overall fascism that has been infecting America.”
The event prompted pushback from several Wisconsin Republican officials.
U.S. Rep. Tony Wied of De Pere referred to the gathering on his social media platforms as the “Hate America Rally,” and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden labeled it an “Election Denier Fest.”
Former governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker posted on Facebook, saying, “A real king would not allow protests against a king. Same goes for a dictator. Thankfully we live in America where freedom still means something!”
“No Kings” Protestors’ Perspectives
One of the demonstrators speaking before the march, JoAnn Vetter, 75, said she missed her granddaughter’s soccer game to go to the protest because she wants to make sure her granddaughter has a future.
Vetter was wearing a hooded robe and a wide-brimmed bonnet from The Handmaid’s Tale.
Demonstrators talked about immigration, health care, and free speech as key reasons they were protesting.
“I went to the No Kings Protest to see how I can show up for my community offline,” said Bridget McCann, a graduate student in Milwaukee. “Online, I’m in an echo chamber of anti-fascism thought and initiatives to protect our community from ICE. I wanted to be present with the people who are showing up.”
Many protestors led chants during the protest; some being, ‘Whose streets? Our Streets,’ ‘hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go,’ ‘no ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA.’
More chants ensued during the commencement speakers and the walk itself.
“The entire protest felt really empowering even though it doesn’t actually affect any policy,” said Grant Verstegen, a student at UWM, who was there to show solidarity with the community.
The No Kings protests are organized by a coalition of progressive groups, including Indivisible, Public Citizen, MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign and Working Families Power, along with multiple unions and grassroots groups like 50501 that formed in response to Trump’s election.
“I would say that showing up for the people of this city is my biggest reason. I am white and I acknowledge that privilege. So I’m going to be there, lead chants, and march for the people of this city who can’t leave their house for fear of being wrongfully taken in the street and imprisoned. Just because I can walk in the street every day without hassle doesn’t mean that everyone can. So I’m going to fight for those who can’t. Not one person should ever be judged before they can show who they are.”
-Wrigley Bialkowski, Milwaukee resident