The third round of the ‘Awekho Amakhosi’ protest is expected to be the biggest yet, say the organizers
Millions are expected to gather across the country and around the world on Saturday for the third round of “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump. Organizers predict it will be “the single largest non-violent day” in American history.
Saturday’s “No Kings” march, with more than 3,200 planned in all 50 states and on many continents, comes as Trump faces increased scrutiny for war with Iran, rising gas prices and his administration’s handling of its mass deportation plan.
“Since the last time No Kings [protests]we’re seeing high gas and grocery prices, all the while there’s an illegal war in Iran,” Sarah Parker, national coordinator for the 50501 group, told reporters Thursday in a national press conference previewing Saturday’s events.
“We’ve seen our neighbors killed, American citizens killed, and our children shoulder the burden of their own power and walk out of school in contempt,” Parker added. “The American people are fed up. They are the ones who don’t want kings.”
A national NBC News poll from earlier this month found that a majority of registered voters in the US disapprove of the president’s handling of immigration, Iran and inflation and the cost of living.
Saturday’s protest across the country was planned for the death of two Americans – Alex Pretti and Renee Good – in January in Minnesota at the hands of federal agents, who were sent there to deport undocumented immigrants and face scrutiny for their brutal tactics in handling immigrants and protesters.
The organizers, who come from left-leaning groups including Indivisible, Civil Citizens, MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Action Network, expect the third day of the No Kings protest to be even bigger than the first. More than seven million people gathered across the country and around the world during the October No Kings day of action.
On Thursday, the organization’s leaders said they were encouraged that more than 50% of the official protest events registered on their website on Saturday were in areas adjacent to the Republic or on battlefields.
“This number is impressive. It makes sense. I think it also speaks to the global appeal of what we’re trying to accomplish here. This is not a one-sided issue. It’s actually the most patriotic thing you can do. Standing up and standing together and saying there are no kings in America is not contradictory,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-Citizensi
The first day of the No Kings protest, in June, was planned amid Trump’s decision to hold a military parade on his birthday in Washington.
At that time, the president told reporters, “if there is a protester who wants to leave, they will be met with great violence. I have never heard of a protest, but you know, these are people who hate our country, but they will be met with great force.”
Organizers have preached non-violence since the start of “Aweke Amakhosi,” and said they expect Saturday’s protesters to remain peaceful even if they encounter opposition from federal agents spread across the country.
“We will not be afraid,” said Deirdre Schifeling, chief of politics and advocacy at the ACLU, on Thursday. “We will be safe. We will have peace. We will be free. So yes, know your rights, and we will not be afraid of this strategy.”
