More Than 1,800 'No Kings' Protests Aim for Nonviolent Pushback Against Trump Policies
The coalition’s national press coordinator says, “We’re all dedicated to championing the cause of nonviolence—not just because it’s moral, but because it’s more effective.”
If you've been online in the past month, you've probably seen the image of a gold crown with a red X through it—the branding for No Kings, the coalition behind Saturday's "national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration," as its website puts it. An offshoot of Indivisible, a nonprofit co-founded by political activist Leah Greenberg and attorney Ezra Levin, No Kings has rallied many progressive groups (including Planned Parenthood, MoveOn, and the ACLU) as well as a few conservative-leaning allies, reflecting its tagline: "In America, we don't do kings."
On the eve of the June 14 mobilization—which some estimates say could draw up to 5 million marchers—Reason's Nancy Rommelmann spoke with Hunter Dunn, national press coordinator for 50501 ("50 Protests. 50 States. 1 Movement"), No Kings' partner in the event. Based in Los Angeles, Dunn discussed how the recent federal law enforcement incursion into the city has shaped the march, why his group is working without any police involvement, and the satisfaction of watching the bromance between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk implode.
Q: You had something a bit unexpected happen in Los Angeles last week.
A: You would be very correct about that.
Q: How has federal law enforcement being on the ground changed the No Kings march, if it has?
A: Obviously, it's had a large impact. We're organizing in downtown Los Angeles, so we've been on the ground during those protests and during those ICE actions. We have a trained team of peacekeepers who specialize in de-escalation and protecting people, and they've had to shield our medical team with their bodies, while [medics were] administering aid, and have taken hits from direct shots from rubber bullets while doing that.
Q: No Kings and 50501 have partnered with over 100 organizations, and there is publicity everywhere. Is it all grassroots, or are there deep-pocketed donors?
A: If there's money, I haven't seen any of it! I'm a volunteer. And I can't speak for every organization that's part of it, but I can speak for ours. We're entirely grassroots and decentralized. We're not even an organization; we're a movement. And we're working together with other local community members and with people nationwide to make this happen.
Q: There will be No Kings events in all 50 states. How many individual marches do you anticipate?
A: Somewhere between 1,800 and 2,000, although that number includes protests in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and other countries. It's an international action because people across the world are seeing what's happening in America, and they want to protest in solidarity. They want to help us ensure that our constitutional rights are not going to be trampled on anymore.
Q: I did have a chuckle out of them having events in England, where, well, they actually do have a king.
A: In Canada, I heard it's called No Tyrants. But yeah, in some of the places they do have a king, but the king has a lot less power than our local king does. Their kings are rather ceremonial, and their rule of law is better protected right now than ours is.
Q: The No Kings website emphasizes that events are completely nonviolent—no weapons of any kind, even if they're licensed. The National Guard being mobilized here in L.A., as well as increased LAPD presence and potentially the Marines, axiomatically changes the anticipated dynamic of the day. How have you had to pivot?
A: The past week has emphasized the importance of safety and working with local community leaders to ensure that our side remains nonviolent and peaceful. I can't say the same for the other side. Local and federal law enforcement, in Los Angeles especially, have reacted violently to nonviolent protestors. But I can promise that the movement I'm part of, and the local organizers I'm working with, we're all dedicated to championing the cause of nonviolence. Not just because it's moral, but because it's more effective. Historically speaking in modern countries, post-World War II, civil nonviolent resistance is significantly more effective than armed resistance. So it's not just a moral question, it's a practical question.
However, I cannot say the same for the government. They have been directly inciting violence; I don't know what else you'd call shooting rubber bullets. If you did that in another country, if you shot journalists and medics with less lethal weapons, that would be considered a war crime.
Q: Is No Kings working in coordination with any law enforcement?
A: I have not spoken to a single organizer who is working with local law enforcement in Los Angeles. We are not because right now, they are the biggest threat to our protestors.
Q: Some people who are attending No Kings rallies have asked if it is also an LGBTQ event or also a pro-Palestine event. A friend in Dallas was perplexed that comedian Paula Poundstone would be among the featured speakers there.
A: It is a very broad gathering, in the sense of political views. Obviously, there will be more people on the left involved, but we have people on the right and center marching with us. One of the most prominent speakers at any rally is Joe Walsh, who ran for president in 2020 as a Republican. We have plenty of conservatives in our movement. There are plenty of centrist and even people on the right who believe it's more important to put aside some of their policy differences to protect our country from authoritarianism.
Q: Have you gotten pushback from either the community or different political factions?
A: We haven't really gotten pushback. I think part of the beauty of our movement is that, broadly speaking, it speaks to the need of communities, regardless of if they're historically red or blue. That's the entire point behind 50501. Plenty of states are conservative, right? Yet we're seeing rallies with tens of thousands of people in very, very red areas because this isn't about party. This is about country, and this is about the Constitution, and this is about freedom, and this is about the most basic fundamental protections that all people deserve, that are being trampled on right now by our government.
Q: Since you are obviously not a fan of President Donald Trump, I'm going to assume you are also not a fan of Elon Musk. Does No Kings have an opinion on the breakup of the two billionaires?
A: I can speak to 50501's position, and there are two elements to it. One of them is, it's heartwarming that the worst people are fighting. The other is, Elon is correct; they should release the Epstein files.
