How this Saturday's 'No Kings' protests will be different

Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times on Oct 15, 2026

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Thousands of “No Kings” rallies are scheduled to take place Saturday aimed at getting people to vote early in the November midterm elections.

The first three “No Kings” rallies held over the past year or so were aimed at protesting President Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns, the war in Iran and high gas and food prices.

Saturday’s demonstrations will be different, focusing instead on voter-participation drives. Candidate endorsements, party promotions and active campaigning will be prohibited.

“No Kings: Vote Early is the next step of reclaiming our power after a year of mass mobilizations,” according to the No Kings coalition website. “It’s a day of nonpartisan voter participation, being in community with each other, and making sure every eligible voter has a plan, knows their options, and is ready to make their voice count.”

In March, an estimated 8 million people participated in 3,300 events held around the U.S. and overseas — an increase of 1 million demonstrators compared with the “No Kings” event last October. The title “No Kings” was intended to protest what critics called the authoritarian policies of President Donald Trump. The first protest took place June 14, 2025, on Trump’s birthday.

“Most of our focus, though, is going to be on making sure that everybody’s First Amendment rights are protected,” he said. “And as long as the laws are followed and there’s nothing — no vandalism, nothing illegal done — then our main focus will be that. But if we need to make enforcement because of other issues, if there is any criminal activity, then we will enforce those laws.”

The “No Kings” organizers also shared “Vote Early” resources at https://www.nokings.org/nkve-resources aimed at providing residents with information and a plan to vote in the midterms.

Other ‘No Kings’ events can be found at nokings.org.

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