Millions of Americans took to the streets on Saturday, June 14, 2025, under the unifying protest known as No Kings Day, a national movement to spotlight democracy and reject monarchical control. Large protests happened in a vast number of cities across the country—Austin was no exception, and over 10,000 people surrounded the Texas Capitol building.
The protest’s mission was to express frustration and dissent following recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, assassination attempts on state legislators, and tension throughout the nation, according to KUT. According to AP News, a group called the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 states, 50 protests, 1 movement, initiated the protests. The group was founded by Americans promoting democracy against what they feel is growing authoritarianism. The demonstrations became the largest in American history, with recent polling showing over 11 million Americans in total in attendance, or just over 3% of the country’s population, according to Feminist News.
The protests took place on the same day as Trump’s military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s military’s founding—a juxtaposition to the actions of the government. The majority of protesters carried handmade signs with messages rejecting monarchical control, the current administration, and rallying people to join the movement against fascism and authoritarianism, according to KUT.
While the protests were largely peaceful, Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to call upon the Texas National Guard to line the streets, according to AP News. On top of this, state troopers and Texas Highway Patrol officers were deployed around the perimeter of the capitol. The No Kings protest emphasized peacefulness and non-violence, resulting in only one arrest, according to the Austin-American Statesman. This was considerably less than the 13 detainees from Austin’s anti-ICE protest on June 9.
The protest was planned to last from 5-8 p.m., but many stayed to march through downtown past 9:30 p.m. The event featured multiple speakers, including U.S. representative o Doggett and State Senator Sarah Eckhardt, according to KUT, and a speech and performance by drag queen Brigitte Bandit.
On top of protesting, the event was themed around the circus to parody the administration’s current power plays. The organizers explained in a post, “When someone in power starts acting like a monarch–defying checks and balances, enriching elites and turning government into a personal stage–the whole system starts to look like a circus. So we’re flipping the script and reclaiming the big tent for democracy, accountability, and the rule of law.”
In all, many saw the series of protests as an effective and important use of the first amendment, according to Feminist News. Protests are expected to continue over the next weeks pertaining to Trump’s actions with Iran and Gaza, according to the Austin for Palestine Coalition.
