Roundup: Millions join "No Kings" protests across U.S. amid prolonged gov't shutdown

The No Kings Coalition said that more than 2,500 demonstrations were planned nationwide for Saturday, with millions of Americans coming together peacefully "to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings." Nearly 7 million people joined the protests across the United States.

by Xinhua writers Xu Jing, Wan Fang, Wu Xiaoling

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across 2,700 U.S. cities and towns on Saturday for the second round of the nationwide "No Kings" protests, the largest single-day demonstration in American history.

Following the first nationwide "No Kings" protest on June 14, this round of rallies, spanning all 50 states, came as the federal government shutdown entered its 18th day with no resolution in sight.

In New York City, more than 100,000 protesters packed Times Square, waving signs that read "Hate will not make U.S. great,""ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) out of NYC," "Healthcare is a right, not a privilege," and "Defend our Constitution." Chants of "We people united, we will never be divided" and "ICE out of the streets" echoed through the crowd.

Tony Charlie, whose grandparents immigrated from Europe, said that immigration is a tradition in the United States and immigrants contribute significantly to the country's economy. "They (ICE) are not going after the bad criminals, they're going after basically innocent people who are hardworking and contributing to this country."

The New York Police Department reported "zero protest-related arrests" on X. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joined demonstrators in Manhattan, while House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans dismissed the protest as a "hate America rally."

On the West Coast, protesters gathered in Seattle, San Francisco and other major cities.

In Seattle, Washington state, advocacy groups such as Seattle Indivisible and labor unions like SEIU 775 called for the withdrawal of federal forces from U.S. cities and the renewal of healthcare subsidies set to expire this year.

In California, an estimated 50,000 people filled the streets of San Francisco, surpassing the crowd from June's protest, to oppose the administration's immigration crackdown and the recent deployment of National Guard units in several U.S. cities.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled he might send federal troops to San Francisco, just hours after Mayor Daniel Lurie and local law enforcement leaders rejected the idea.

The No Kings Coalition said that more than 2,500 demonstrations were planned nationwide for Saturday, with millions of Americans coming together peacefully "to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings." Nearly 7 million people joined the protests across the United States.■