Heightened sense of urgency around this ‘No Kings Day’

He was still well into his administration in June when millions of demonstrators took to the streets for “No Monarchs Day,” depicting President Trump as a wannabe monarch intent on violating American democratic norms.

Immigration raids in Los Angeles were just beginning, and Trump had deployed military troops to the city to suppress the protests.

But four months later, as protesters prepare to join more than 2,700 “No Kings” demonstrations planned across the country on Saturday, many Americans see Trump’s threats and norm-shattering actions becoming more intense.

During this period, the Trump administration increased immigration raids in Los Angeles and Chicago and deployed National Guard troops to Washington, DC. He also pressured universities to comply with his agenda or lose funding, fired government officials he deemed insufficiently loyal, and launched an aggressive investigation of political opponents.

“We’re seeing an increase, right?” said Hunter Dunn, spokesman for 50501, a core organizing partner of the “No Kings” coalition. he said. “We’re watching ICE’s mass deportation program accelerate and become more aggressive than before. What’s happening in Los Angeles is now happening in Memphis, D.C., and Chicago.”

But the second “No to Kings” protest raises some existential questions for organizers trying to launch a sustainable protest movement. What is the most effective way to challenge Trump? So how can you make noise without playing into the president’s hands?

Saturday’s revival of massive demonstrations around the slogan “No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings” will speak to left-wing concerns that the Trump administration is embracing authoritarian tactics and unraveling US democracy. But it will also involve a wider range of issues, including rising prices and rolling back environmental protections.

The threat posed by Trump goes beyond immigration, said Dunn, a 22-year-old organizer from Los Angeles County who is part of a coalition of thousands of groups. He noted that Trump has used the Federal Communications Commission to silence broadcasters he doesn’t like, brought “fake” charges against protesters and demonstrators outside ICE facilities, and signed what Dunn said was a “big, beautiful bill” that funneled trillions of dollars from the average American to billionaires who support the Trump regime.

“We see the Trump administration repeatedly trying and failing to undermine the foundations of democracy, and in doing so, increasing the level of threat,” Dunn said.

The June 14 incident spurred more than five million people to take action against Trump. One of the tests will be whether they can increase that number on Saturday.

In both Los Angeles and Chicago, Trump tried to use mostly peaceful protests to argue that the streets were unsafe and military troops were needed. Trump disputed the underlying premise of the protest Interview with Fox News Friday.

“They refer to me as the king,” he said. “I am not a king.”

Protesters also face increasing attacks from Trump’s allies on the right; some of these brand their demonstrations as anti-American.

“We call this the ‘Don’t Hate America’ rally,” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a news conference Wednesday. “Let’s see who shows up for this. I bet you’ll see Hamas supporters, I bet you’ll see Antifa types, I bet you’ll see Marxists on full display, people who don’t want to stand up and defend the fundamental truths of this republic.”

Organizers expect a large and diverse group of Americans to attend Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstrations. About 600 more events are planned, down from the 2,100 shows that took place in June, and slightly more people have signed up, although the organization discourages registration.

David S. Meyer, a sociology professor of social movements at UC Irvine, said people’s views on the Trump administration haven’t changed much since June. Rather, he argued, people feel a higher level of urgency about the danger of the Trump administration.

“What’s increasing is people’s desire to take more action, to do something,” he said. “I think there is a hunger for action.”

Meyer said he was surprised to see major GOP leaders aligned with Trump and pushing the idea that “No to Kings” was un-American.

“There are many presidents who have faced protests against their policies,” Meyer said. “That’s what America is all about. And presidents often say, ‘I have to represent everyone and do what I think is best for the country. And I understand there are other Americans who disagree with me.'”

To broaden the scope of “No to Kings,” organizers appealed to Americans upset about the rising cost of living, the elimination of environmental protections, sweeping overhauls of federal agencies and government shutdowns due to looming health care cuts, Meyer said. Meyer argued that these issues were connected to the theme of American democracy.

“Trump doesn’t consult people who disagree with him… and the people who surround him, who are, by design, obviously chosen for their loyalty rather than their specific credentials,” Meyer said. “The strategy of the ‘No Kings’ organizers is to provide some kind of big, overarching bucket where all the grievances can fit and people with all kinds of different grievances can come out.”

Another reason “No Kings” touches on so many topics, Dunn said, is because Trump is overwhelming the public with a barrage of information, disinformation and debate in response to what former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon described as a Republican tactic of “flooding the district.”

“The Republicans’ strategy is to worsen the economy for everyone, worsen the cost of living for the average American… to try to weaken the American people and make it harder for them to stand up to the abuses of this administration,” Dunn said. “That’s why we stand on all these fronts, because we have to confront them on every front they use to harm the American people.”

The goal of the “No Kings” campaign goes beyond getting Americans out on the streets together in solidarity against Trump. They want to connect people who are angry and frustrated with the Trump administration with local organizing groups.

“Getting involved in these groups, making face-to-face connections and participating in them is going to have a much bigger impact than just one day of protesting over the next few days, the next few weeks, the next few months, the next few years,” Dunn said.

Dunn said one of the most important questions facing the Trump resistance movement going forward is how to pressure leading Democratic elected officials to join.

While lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have done much to resist the Trump administration, he said he wants to put more pressure on mainstream Democrats across the country.

“How will we get support from what is supposed to be the opposition party?”

Dunn said he was not worried about the possibility of violence as millions took to the streets on Saturday. He stated that the rallies and demonstrations held in June were mostly peaceful. Organizers place great emphasis on de-escalation and protest safety, bringing together community and faith leaders and training tens of thousands of volunteers across the country in de-escalation. He mocked the idea that extremists might hijack any demonstration.

“The biggest threat to safety at every protest I have ever attended — unless law enforcement intervenes — is always dehydration and heat exhaustion,” Dunn said.

Olivia Negron, 73, an organizer with Studio City Rising who has been protesting in her L.A. neighborhood every weekend since April, said she was alarmed not only by the president’s rhetoric but also by the Trump administration’s actions against immigrants through the courts and the streets.

“The president doesn’t know what it means to be an American,” said Negron, who is Latino and the child of a U.S. Navy officer. “The American dream is about inclusivity and making immigrants feel welcome in the United States.”

Negron, who marched against the war in Vietnam, said he felt people in power were taking away what it means to be an American and making it harder to fly the American flag. But he said he was hopeful that steps taken by the Trump administration since the last “No Kings” day would push more people to protest.

“We need to turn the ship of state around and steer this democracy in the right direction,” Negron said. “Definitely more inclusion, more equality, more diversity. Diversity is our strength, and empathy is our superpower.”