No Kings Protest Sets National Records
News and photos by Heather Johnson
Approximately 3,000 protesters gathered along Sims Way, with many marching from Kah Tai to Salmon Park. In addition to the sentiments expressed through creative signs, participants also discussed “spreading hope,” “defending democracy,” and outrage towards ICE’s tactics. According to Gina Mcather, the chair of the Leadership Team at Indivisible Port Townsend, approximately 800 people attended the first protest in January 2025, putting Saturday’s attendance at triple the initial participation nine months into Trump’s presidency.
This weekend, The Xylom, an independent news outlet based in Atlanta, partnered with data journalist G Elliott Morris to produce a crowdsourced estimate of turnout for the second “No Kings Day” protests held around the country.
As of Oct. 19th, 10 am EDT, their median estimate is that 5.1 million people participated in a "No Kings Day" demonstration somewhere in the country on Saturday, with an upper bound of 6.5 million people.
Saturday’s events are very likely the biggest single-day protest event since the 1970s Earth Day, surpassing even the 2017 Women’s March demonstrations against Trump. Saturday’s "No Kings Day" was up to 40% larger than the first edition in June, mainly powered by high turnout in large cities.
