Thousands of people took to the streets this Saturday in cities across the United States, including New York, Washington, and Miami, under the slogan "No Kings," to protest what they perceive as the growing authoritarianism of President Donald Trump.

The demonstrations were convened simultaneously in more than 2,500 cities and towns across all fifty states, with the goal of becoming the largest protest since Trump's return to power last January.

This is the second edition of the "No Kings" mobilization, following the one held on June 14, which coincided with the president's birthday and which—according to organizers—brought together some five million people.

The new day of protests unfolds in a climate of rising political tension, marked by Trump's decision to deploy military forces in several cities governed by the Democratic opposition, under the argument of combating crime and supporting the work of immigration agents.

Among the most emblematic gathering points are Times Square in New York; the Capitol in Washington; and downtown Chicago, where protests against immigration raids have been held in recent weeks.

Protests were also called in other prominent cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Honolulu, Houston, Nashville, New Orleans, San Diego, and San Francisco. In solidarity with the call, gatherings were held this Saturday in European capitals like Berlin, Paris, and Rome.

The protests bring together a wide variety of causes, from opposition to immigration raids and cuts in healthcare, to the rejection of the militarization of cities or the modifications of electoral districts that seek to ensure a Republican victory in next year's midterm elections.

For his part, Trump is spending the day at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, with no official agenda, and plans to return to Washington on Sunday.

A Peaceful Call

Many protesters carry American flags and wear yellow clothing, a color used in other peaceful movements—such as the 2019 Hong Kong protests—and also wear animal costumes to maintain a relaxed atmosphere.

The convening platform, made up of some two hundred organizations, emphasized the peaceful nature of the mobilization and stated on its website that weapons are prohibited.

Nevertheless, several Republican leaders warned of possible disturbances, and the governor of Texas, Gregg Abbott, a Trump ally, ordered the deployment of the National Guard in Austin to prevent violent acts.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, described the manifestation as a display of "hatred for America," led—he said—by Hamas sympathizers and members of the antifa movement, which Trump recently declared a terrorist organization.

The name of the "No Kings" movement alludes to the perception that the president acts like a monarch and recalls that the United States was founded in 1776 on the rejection of a sovereign's absolute power.

"They say I act like a king. I am not a king," Trump stated in an interview with Fox Business published on Friday.

The president also suggested that Democrats delayed budget negotiations to reopen the federal government, which has been shut down since October 1st due to a lack of funds, in order to foster the protest.

From the opposition, Democrats accuse Trump of jeopardizing the First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects freedom of speech, due to his alleged attempt to silence demonstrations and critical voices.

One of the most symbolic events occurred when the White House pressured to cancel comedian Jimmy Kimmel's program for his mockery of the Republican reaction to the murder of the ultra-conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk, which occurred in September.

Kimmel, whose program returned to the air after a one-week suspension, compared the "No Kings" mobilization on Thursday to the American Revolution that culminated with the country's independence.

"There is nothing more American than a political protest. The American Revolution was a protest. No Kings!" Kimmel stated in his monologue.