No Kings kicks off third wave of anti-Trump protests in Philly and around the country

Scores of No Kings demonstrations are planned Saturday across the Philadelphia region in response to President Donald Trump’s administration.

As part of 3,100 events slated across the country, protesters gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall to denounce Trump’s policies, his escalating immigration enforcement tactics, and the war in Iran, according to the event’s website.

The energy was high at City Hall around noon, ahead of the planned march down the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Drums beat in time, chants reverberated, and homemade signs condemning Trump, ICE and the war in Iran were proudly swung.

Meoshe McQueen unfurled a large American flag. It was a tribute, she said, to her father, who served as an airman in World War II.

“My father fought for equality and justice,” the North Philly native said. “The world we live in today threatens that. We want fairness, regardless of a person’s color, creed or race. None of that matters.”

Nearby, Susan Adler and Pamela Schott held a sign asking for “Peace and Safety for our Grands,” referencing their grandchildren.

“We need a world where kids can be safe, and not hauled off based on the color of their skin,” Scott, of Jenkintown, said.

Protests are also planned in Camden and Moorestown in New Jersey, and Northeast Philly, Media, and Ardmore — suburbs where there has been a growing opposition to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and resistance to Trump.

“We’re a united front,” said Michele Messer, of Cooper River Indivisible, the group organizing the rally in Camden. “No matter where you land on the political spectrum, we need to work together and build coalitions to fight back against what this administration continues to try to pile on us.

“And the stronger that fabric, the stronger we’ll be.”

» READ MORE: The first No Kings protest of 2026 — and the third of Trump’s term — is this weekend

This is the third iteration of the No Kings rallies. The recurring nationwide protests are organized by a sweeping coalition of groups opposed to what they see as Trump’s authoritarianism and his attempts to consolidate and expand his power.

The No Kings’ trajectory has been atypical compared to other social movements, where enthusiasm historically wanes over time, according to Billie Murray, an associate professor of communication at Villanova University. No Kings has, instead, gained momentum: Organizers say more than 5 million people took to the streets in June, followed by more than 7 million in October. Organizers project 9 million people will participate Saturday.

“The issues don’t seem to be getting resolved,” Murray said, “people see that as a motivating factor — we have to keep pushing, we have to keep trying, we have to keep organizing. … People aren’t seeing the change that they want to see.”

The White House dismissed the nationwide protests as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.

“The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to the Associated Press.

The flagship of the movement will be held in Minnesota, where Bruce Springsteen is expected to perform his anti-ICE protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis." As of Saturday morning, several hundred people — mostly Americans living in France — were protesting.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.