Big crowds of protesters are expected across the United States, including in eight Mississippi cities, against what opponents call authoritarian practices by President Donald Trump. Saturday marks the second “No Kings” protest and the third mass movement against the administration this year.
It’s the second “No Kings” protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide.
Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as “Hate America” rallies, while others portray it as a patriotic fight for American rights.
In Mississippi, thousands are likely to take to the streets in Corinth, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, Oxford, Starkville and Tupelo on Saturday. During the last No Kings rallies in June, between about 3,500 and 4,300 people protested across seven cities. Residents are turning out again in each of those cities, joined by Corinth this time.
The Mississippi rallies listed on the No Kings website are at the following times and locations on Saturday, Oct. 18:
- Corinth: Trailhead Park, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
- Guflport: Dan M. Russell Jr. Federal Courthouse Annex, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg City Hall, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
- Hernando: DeSoto County Courthouse lawn, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
- Jackson: Southside of the Mississippi Capitol Building, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Oxford: The Square, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Starkville: Old County Courthouse, 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
- Tupelo: Downtown Tupelo, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Here is what else to expect nationwide on Saturday.
Organizers Aim to Boost Political Engagement
Ezra Levin, a leading organizer of Saturday’s protests, said the demonstrations are a response to what he called Trump’s “crackdown on First Amendment rights.”
Levin, the co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, pointed to Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, his unprecedented promises to use federal power to influence midterm elections, restrictions on press freedom and retribution against political opponents.
He said those steps cumulatively represented a direct threat to constitutionally protected rights.
Protests are planned for more than 2,500 locations nationwide—from the country’s largest city, New York, to small unincorporated, rural communities like East Glacier Ridge, Montana, with roughly 300 residents.
Organizers will consider the day a success, Levin said, if people are galvanized to become more politically involved on an ongoing basis.
Mostly Peaceful Protest in June
The last “No Kings” protest took place on June 14 in thousands of cities and towns across the country, in large part to protest a military parade in Washington that marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday. “No Kings” organizers at the time called the parade “coronation” that was symbolic of what they characterized as Trump’s growing authoritarian overreach.
Confrontations were isolated and the protests were largely peaceful.
Police in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration enforcement raids erupted the week prior and sparked demonstrations across the country, used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the formal event ended. Officers in Portland also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening.
One protester was killed during the Salt Lake City march in June. A safety volunteer shot at a person allegedly pointing a rifle at demonstrators, but inadvertently struck and killed protester Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a beloved fashion designer.
Utah Organizers Focus on Healing
Four months later, no one has been charged. Experts have said state gun laws may shield both the shooter and the man who brandished a rifle but didn’t fire shots.
Jamie Carter, an organizer of Saturday’s rally, said Utah activists considered not participating in this round of “No Kings” demonstrations, but “we also felt that we really had to get back out there.”
Organizers are not affiliated with the groups who put on the June demonstration that turned deadly. Safety volunteers will be present but unarmed, and all have received de-escalation training, said Carter, of Salt Lake Indivisible. Attendees have been asked not to bring weapons.
“We really want this to be a very uplifting, happy event of people coming together in a community to kind of try to erase and replace some of the bad memories,” she said.
Concerns about large political demonstrations remain heightened in Utah, where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was also assassinated during a speaking event last month.
Crackdown on Protests
Trump’s crackdown against protests, especially in Democratic cities, has intensified since the June marches. He has since sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn. His efforts to deploy troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have stalled in federal court.
Organizers in Chicago are expecting tens of thousands of demonstrators at a popular Lake Michigan park, followed by a downtown march.
Federal immigration agents have arrested more than 1,000 people in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, with increasingly aggressive tactics since September. Protests have been frequent and well attended in recent weeks, and have boiled over in intense clashes outside a suburban federal immigration processing center.
“People are angrier. It feels so much more immediate,” said Denise Poloyac with Indivisible Chicago. “They’re very concerned about what’s happening in Chicago and around the country.”
The “No Kings” organizers have led numerous virtual safety trainings leading up to the protests with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is listed as an official partner on the “No Kings” website.
The trainings informed viewers about their rights during protests—such as whether you are required to carry ID or if wearing a mask is allowed (both vary according to each state)—and emphasized de-escalation techniques for encounters with law enforcement.
Each official protest has a safety plan, which includes designated medics and emergency meeting spots.
Mixed Response from Elected Officials
The protests have already drawn swift condemnation from some of the country’s top politicians, with House Speaker Mike Johnson dubbing the event the “Hate America rally” at a news conference on Wednesday.
Some state leaders, like Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, have decided to activate the National Guard ahead of the protests.
“Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property,” Abbott said in a statement.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom struck a more optimistic tone, saying he hopes Californians turn out in large numbers and remain peaceful. He said Trump “hopes there is disruption, there’s some violence” that he can exploit.
Tap or click here to see more stories and photos from the No Kings Day protests in Mississippi.
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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Juan A. Lozano in Houston, Texas; Terry Chea in San Francisco; and Sophia Tareen in Chicago.
Mississippi Free Press News Editor Ashton Pittman added information on the Mississippi rallies to this story.