From big cities to small towns, politicians and celebrities joined “No Kings” protests on Saturday, to denounce the Trump administration’s policies and threats to political opponents.
Chanting and carrying signs, protesters hit the streets and demanded “no monarchs in America.”
Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee posted a picture from New York City of his sister, Do the Right Thing actress Joie Lee, among the crowd. She held a poster showing President Trump with the words “to go” written on it. Lee captioned the post, “Get up. Stand up. Ya-Dig? Sho Nuff.”
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi joined protesters in Red Bank, New Jersey. The Bon Jovi frontman held a sign saying: “No Kings. No Tyrants. No Sycophants. No Trump.”
Although his band distanced itself from that message. A statement on Facebook Sunday said the group “does not identify with any political party, nor do we seek to provoke confrontation or division among us.”
Also Read: Kamala Harris Tells Los Angeles Audience It’s ‘Time to Rise Up’
Video shared across social media showed massive crowds in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
Scandal actress Kerry Washington posted pictures and a video on Instagram of herself joining the crowds in L.A. Washington captioned the post, “Sending so much love and gratitude to everyone who showed out for #NoKings today!”
The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal rallied with protesters in downtown L.A. He wore a Lakers T-shirt and marched with California State Assemblymember Isaac Bryan.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, 87, was also spotted in L.A. at the Oct. 18 rallies. The octogenarian walked among the crowd and issued a fiery message.
“This will slow him down, this will let him know that the people are on the ground, all over this country,” Waters said in video posted to YouTube by an author, influencer, and former White House aide to President Bill Clinton, Keith Boykin.
Waters said Trump was hoping there would be violence, so he could order a crackdown and “have a martial law.” The California Democrat declared, “He’s itching for us to look as if we’re violent, so that we can get shot down.”
Also in L.A., protesters marched toward the federal government’s Metropolitan Detention Center at the corner of Alameda and Aliso streets in downtown L.A., denounced ICE, and stared down a line of LAPD officers.
The department issued a dispersal order for the area and gave the crowd “15 minutes to comply.”
“If you remain in the area you may be subject to arrest or other Police action,” the department posted on social media at 6:55 p.m. Saturday.
Police added in a second post that “lasers and industrial size flashing lights (constant and strobe) were used against officers and the pilot of an LAPD Airship.”
Local news station ABC7 reported at least one person was arrested.
Meantime, the NYPD said Saturday the protests there were trouble-free. “We had more than 100,000 people across all five boroughs peacefully exercising their first amendment rights and the NYPD made zero protest-related arrests,” the department wrote on social media.
The 50501 Movement and other grass roots groups organized the demonstrations.
Organizers posted a note on their website saying more than 7 million people attended protests in 2,700 gatherings in all 50 states. They are planning additional events and a nationwide protest on Nov. 5.
Ahead of the protests, Republicans called the demonstrations “hate America” rallies. House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed the protests for the ongoing government shutdown.
“It’s all the pro Hamas wing, the Antifa people, they’re all coming out, some of the house Democrats are selling T-shirts for the event, and it’s being told to us that we won’t be able to reopen the government until after that rally, because they can’t face their rabid base. I mean this is serious business hurting real people,” Johnson told Fox News.
Saturday’s events were a follow-up to the first “No Kings Day” events held on June 14.
The featured image shows: (Clockwise L-R) Kerry Washington, Jon Bon Jovi, Pedro Pascal and Rep. Maxine Waters at ‘No Kings’ protests (via Screen grabs from Instagram, Facebook and YouTube).
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
