Why Participate in the October 18th No Kings Protest?
Oh gosh, another protest? We've already had a few this year and have they made any difference? What's the point of participating in the upcoming No Kings protest on October 18th? Isn't it futile?
That's what they sure hope you'll think.
Why Participate in the October 18th No Kings Protest
Your home alarm system notifies you that there are prowlers on your property. You look at the doorbell camera and see people heading to your back door, holding crowbars and large empty duffle bags. What do you do? Do you open the door fearing they'll damage it, hand them your wedding ring for fear they'll chop your finger off to get it, toss them your wallet because you really don't want them to also take your really nice handbag? Or do you turn on the lights, set off the alarm, and do what you can to prevent them from breaking in?
They may still break in, they may still get your wallet, and they may still damage your property, but at least you made an effort. And possibly, by creating such a ruckus you woke your neighbors up and prevented them from also being burglarized.
Recently, a late night talk show host was taken off the air supposedly for his remarks. Digging in further, it was clear that it had a lot more to do with money and power than his opening monologue. Due to customers causing a ruckus, Disney agreed to let the show go back on the air. Some broadcasting companies, however, refused. They were known for already adjusting their news and broadcasting to focus on conservative right-wing beliefs and weren't going to back down. But customers continued to sound the alarm, and they got these companies to cry uncle and put the show back on the air.
Don't hand the robbers your most valuable possessions without putting up a fight.
Purpose of the October 18 No Kings Protest
The October 18th No Kings Protest is looking to be the largest of its kind, and surely the largest for 2025. Up to six million people across 2,169 communities turned out for the No Kings protest on June 14th. As the year has progressed, more citizens have become concerned with the acts of the administration. Even those who voted for it are now having regrets. There is no better time for us to unite together and show solidarity as we fight for our country, our constitution, and what truly makes America great.
In the words of Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin, “The only known solution to creeping authoritarianism is broad-based, peaceful, geographically dispersed mass engagement by everyday Americans.”
The event is called No Kings because this is why The United States of America was created. We are a republic and a democracy, not an autocracy or oligarchy. We, the citizens of the USA do not have a king as our country's leader, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.
A core principle behind the No Kings movement is a commitment to nonviolent action. All participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.
Who is Behind The No Kings Protest?
The nationwide “No Kings” protest movement is a coalition of over 200 progressive advocacy and activist groups, not a single organization or business. The protests were coordinated by several organizations and supported by activists across the United States including MoveOn, Indivisible, the ACLU, 5 Calls, 50501, Sierra Club, Human Rights Campaign, Free DC, Th!rd Act, People for the American Way, and Color Of Change.
Jewish, Catholic, Christian, Mennonite, Unitarian Universalist, Episcopal, Buddhist, Methodist, Baptist, as well as freedom from religion groups and more have aligned with the No Kings protest. I know many voted for this administration due to their religious beliefs. I wanted to share some links that may interest you regarding those who are true to their faith but have or plan to participate in the No Kings protests:
- The Bible Says: No Kings (Conversation in Faith)
- What participants saw at No Kings protests across the country (Baptist News Global)
- At Philadelphia's ‘No Kings' protest, faith leaders urge crowd to ‘rebuke hate' (National Catholic Reporter)
- No Kings on June 14: Biblical reasons to be on the street (Rod White)
- Why religious communities are rallying behind the protest message of ‘No Kings' (Religion News Service)
- Keep Calm and Resist: Be a Peacekeeping Protester (United Methodist Insight)
This is a protest that is not specific to a belief or party, but a gathering of those who see that what is happening to our country is wrong. You can be true to your faith and still protest how the current administration is treating our country and our rights.
Information about the October 18 No Kings Protest
The October 18th 2025 No Kings Protest will take place across the United States at various times of the day, with the majority of the events starting between 11-3pm ET. The goal is to have as many opportunities as possible for Americans to participate on this day instead of confining to a specific time or place.
While there will be a large gathering in DC, folks are not asked to travel more than an hour for the protest. If you have to travel more than an hour, it is being suggested instead organizing a mini protest closer to home.
Visit nokings.org to find an event near you or to organize a local protest. At this site, you can also find resources like event host toolkits, safety and security guidance, and even signs and graphics to download. You can also find local No Kings events on Mobilize; if you're organizing an event in your area I recommend you post it here as well. On Mobilize you'll see it's not just the United States gathering that day to protest; this is a global event.
What to Wear and Take to a No Kings Protest
I have written before about what to wear to a protest march, and offered tips for attending the No Kings Protest back in June. This No Kings protest will be no different; it is a short and peaceful gathering where you shouldn't need to do a lot of preparation or bring a lot of supplies.
Top priority is comfort; you will be on your feet for possibly up to three hours outdoors.
- Wear comfortable shoes with support. I likely will be wearing a pair of sneakers with these insoles tucked inside.
- I will carry my favorite festival and protest crossbody bag so I have my arms free and my possessions are secure next to my body.
- Even if it's cloudy, you can get sunburned. I recommend wearing a hat of some sort, even if it's a baseball cap, and a pair of sunglasses. Also be sure to apply sunscreen not just to your face but your ears, back of neck, decollete, and forearms.
- Bring water. I carry a Vapur bag on a carabiner off my crossbody so I can fold it into my bag when it's empty. It's much lighter weight than a traditional water bottle and doesn't hurt if it bangs against me or another in a crowd.
- I always bring at least one bandana. It can be wet and applied to your neck to keep you cool, can be worn cowboy style to keep your neck protected from the sun, can be a face mask in a pinch, and much more.
- Tuck a few baby wipes in your bag; they are great for porta-potties, wiping off Sharpie, cleaning up messes, wiping sunscreen and other things from eyes and face, and more.
- Bring a sign! Even if it's sharpie on a piece of a cardboard box, it makes a crowd look larger and is motivating. A roll of medical tape or some duct tape wrapped around an old gift card is useful to repair broken signs and tape them temporarily to fences and signposts.
- Don't be afraid to rock the American flag. Carrying a flag, wearing American flag sweaters and other patriotic clothing, and using bunting and patriotic ribbon to decorate shows you are there to support and defend this land that we love.
- I bring a small phone charger as I always end up taking a lot of photos and videos; this one plugs right into the charging port but is small enough for your phone to still be used and slipped in and out of your pocket. This one is slim and magnetic and will snap to the back of your phone and charge wirelessly while still making your phone functional.
- Bring positive vibes. The October 18th No Kings event may be a protest, but it is a peaceful one. It is a chance to connect with likeminded folks in your community, gain strength in numbers, and remember that America belongs to us, not a dictator.
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Thank you for this post! I appreciate your advocacy (in addition to the practical tips). Will be joining in my peaceful hometown, Chicago.
Alison,
Thx so much for posting this and gathering all the information in one easy to find place. I’ll be attending in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Many of us remember the March on Washington in the 1960’s which was huge in attendance and which culminated (eventually) in major gains for civil rights.
However, there were many protests before that which helped to build awareness and momentum for the large March in D.C. Building that momentum is why attending the NO KINGS protest is so important now.
Thank you for this post. You have always been a strong advocate of using your voice to support your beliefs, and I so appreciate what you’ve been doing this year. Your clear overview of who is participating in this No Kings protest, and why, is great. Hopefully, you will encourage more of us to come out and stand up for our country. I’m sad because my town–which has held protests big and small all year–isn’t holding one for reasons I don’t understand. But there’s a No Kings protest a half hour away, and I will be there. Carrying one of those cool foldable water bottles you mentioned. I’m about to order a pair!
Loved this! Thanks for sharing this important information.
Thank you for this, from Chicago, where armed, masked men are riding up and down the Chicago River…
love,
Janice
I am also from Chicago. Isn’t it terrible! On a beautiful autumn day masked thugs walked down our streets downtown and rode boats down the Chicago river! All just hideous photo ops.
Thank you! I’m planning on going to my local No Kings protest, my first one.
“ What’s the point of participating in the upcoming No Kings protest on October 18th? Isn’t it futile?”
No, it isn’t futile. Look how the 1.7M cancelled Disney subscriptions got ABC to put Jimmy Kimmel back on air.
& as AOC wrote in a recent email “ Please do not fall for the illusion or the lie that any action is too small. There is no action too small. In fact, when millions of us do tiny things, we can disrupt these systems.”
And as I learned from the 1st Bernie campaign, there are Dems in the reddest of states. But they are afraid of their red neighbors & stay quiet for safety & thus don’t realize that there are other Dems just like them in their community. When they go to a campaign event, a training event, or a protest & meet other Democrats, they realize that they aren’t alone. And that is very powerful.
(I’m using Democrat in a very lazy way. People who fall under that big voting tent go by lots of different terms.)
Did you even read past her first paragraph? She said all you said. She agrees with you but it’s weird you even mentioned Jimmy Kimmel and she did too.