October 18th showed the resurgence of global “No Kings” protests, amassing over 7 million participants across the country and worldwide.
Saturday, October 18th, found the streets flooded with people from all walks of life. Among posters and signs, thousands arrived in costumes, including inflatable creatures, onesies, celebrity impersonators, and more. This seemingly silly act is inspired by the anti-ICE protests in Portland, Oregon, from earlier this month, which used humorous costumes to counter the popular claim that these protests sow incessant violence and fear.
Over the course of the year, No Kings has gained traction as an anti-authoritarian, anti-tyrant, and overwhelmingly anti-Trump movement. After its first successful iteration on June 14th, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s birthday and anniversary military parade, people only grew more passionate towards the No Kings movement. Since June, situations have grown dire for a large percentage of the American people, especially concerning continued ICE raids and the implementation of new bills—namely, the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ that altered many tax and financial guidelines in the United States. Changes such as these have re-energized the movement, giving it more power for its second run…