We Will Not Be Ruled

Reflecting on the joyful atmosphere at Saturday's No Kings protest—and the gravity of what's at stake for America

(Photos by author at NYC protest on Saturday)

I woke early on a crisp New York morning and was out the door after seven. I wanted time to walk the quiet streets of Manhattan before the No Kings press conference and the start of the protest at 11. I was hopeful that both New Yorkers and Americans everywhere would come out in massive numbers to express both their love for this country and their anger toward Donald Trump and his regime’s assault on our Constitution, the rule of law and immigrant communities.

(photos by the author)

I was not disappointed, as nearly seven million showed up across America at over 2,500 events, including some 350,000 in New York City alone. (These estimates are according to the protest’s organizers.) But I was particularly surprised and excited by the buoyancy of the crowds.

As deadly serious as this day was to send a message of dissent to Trump and his sycophants—that we reject authoritarianism—the joyful atmosphere as marchers walked downtown from Times Square was inspiring. People had come armed with signs expressing their anger, but the coming together itself created a beautiful sense of uplift. It’s a feeling that I’ve heard from readers of America, America and other protestors all across the country, in large cities, small towns and everything in between.

This was a peaceful show of collective power and a release of pent-up energy from many who have felt overwhelmed and powerless, fearful and alone. This was an opportunity to push back against a deeply cynical collection of Republican liars who have abused their power, including exploiting their platforms in recent days to insist this would be a “hate America” rally populated with scary terrorists.

And No Kings protestors did push back in many ways, including with signs that expressed love for American values and principles; drums, chants and laughter to heighten the solidarity and camaraderie; and even inflatable animal costumes that made a mockery of a regime that was hoping for violence to provide a pretext for a crackdown.

Just a few of the signs I saw: “Liberty Not Tyranny,” “Huddled Masses Defeat Your Fascist Asses,” “Rejecting Kings Since 1776,” “We Will Not Be Silenced,” “No Crown For Da Clown,” “Abolish ICE,” “Censorship Is Un-American,” “Compassion Is Patriotic” and “Loving America=Loving Freedom of Speech, Separation of Powers, Freedom of the Press, Due Process.”

(photos by the author)

A few of the signs America, America readers saw:

(photos by readers in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Minnesota)

And some of the costumed protestors, determined to mock the malignant one and his moronic miscreants who had hoped to scare people away by fear-mongering with fantasies of violence:

The honking chicken is courtesy of a reader in Kentucky.

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I want to share with you some of what fellow protestors told me about why they came to the streets and what they hoped for, as well as words from some of the prominent speakers in New York. First, a sampling of people who were kind enough to speak to me on Substack Live after my unexpected approach. (You can watch their full remarks in the videos linked below.)

“I believe in democracy. I am 80 years old and I have fought for democracy my whole lifetime. I think what’s going on is an abomination. It’s anti-human, disrespectful and I just can’t sit down.” And the protest? “It feels like one of the best moods I’ve seen of people—hopeful, finally. People feeling that masses can make a difference—and we can make a difference…Every little bit of hope removes a piece of trauma in our bodies, and we’ve all been traumatized.”

“I’m afraid that our democracy is slipping away…I didn’t want to come. I was tired and I worked hard this week and I didn’t really want to come, I’m going to do something else. But it’s necessary.” And the mood of the protest? “It’s overwhelmingly great…I was a little paranoid that there would be trouble, instigators, and everybody is, the message is, fantastic. It’s great to see this many people who think the same way I do. It’s very reassuring.”

“I feel like in this day of media saturation, it’s very hard to get one’s voice heard…I’m adding my voice to one of many…The more that I watch what’s happening, the more that I see the sort of descent, the more that I feel like I’ve got to figure out how to…make time for it, right? Because if we don’t make time for it now, we’re not going to live the same life anyways.”

“I’m here because everything that’s happening is wrong. Everything is wrong. Nothing is great. Every day you get up, it’s something different. So, you know, you’ve got to stand up.” And coming to the protests? “I love it.”

“My father and all my uncles. They all fought the fascists back in the 1940s. Now it’s my turn. And I’m going to be doing it peacefully. And we need to get our country back.” And the GOP talk of violence? “That’s just all the fascist propaganda…there’s not a single threat here. The police are the nicest. I mean, I’ve been talking to them: they want to trade outfits…we, the people can make the change.”

You can find these live video conversations here in “No Kings Protest: A Joyful Mood” and here in “No Kings in NYC.”

I also think it’s worth hearing a few wise words from some of the leaders who spoke Saturday morning in New York. Among them:

“Nobody needs to wonder what America would look like if America were taken over by authoritarianism…The courage and bravery of Americans standing up and fighting back is what will save our country,” said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

“People are standing up because we think we are not subjects—the country belongs to us. Democracy does not need kings….It is up to us, the people. It has always been up to us to build this country,” said L. Joy Williams, president of the New York chapter of the NAACP.

“We are here because this city, this state, will not bend the knee to this regime…Citizenship is about showing up, the perpetual right to demand that this country do right for all of us,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, as well as a top New York mayoral candidate in 2021.

I want to end here with a one-minute video that I shot from the middle of 7th Avenue at Times Square as protestors streamed by, just as they did for over two hours. In this moment, I was moved by the people, both buoyant and grave, and the variety of thoughts and feelings that emerged from their signs as they passed by. When you listen to the audio, you’ll hear a chant: “This is what democracy looks like. This is what America looks like.”

I shared this video clip on Bluesky. One follower, a musician and composer, watched and listened to the clip’s enthusiastic spirit. But he wanted to emphasize the gravity of this day, amid the celebratory feeling.

“If you really want to know…how important today was,” he wrote, “watch this video muted while listening to John Williams’s theme to Schindler’s List…for thousands of people here in the United States, this is all too real. And they have plans for us all.”

He is right. While we can all take great encouragement from the joyfulness of this weekend’s No Kings protest—and I hope are motivated to get involved in coming collective actions—it’s important to keep in mind what’s at stake for our country and for so many people now under attack.

First watch and listen to the video with its original live sound, “This is what democracy looks like,” then I’d suggest replaying it on mute while listening to the theme music from Steven Spielberg’s profound film about the Holocaust linked here.

Stay strong, stay engaged and be clear that we will get through this dark chapter in America’s history. But that depends on all of us recognizing our collective power and refusing to give in to doubt and despair. That’s often not easy, especially when you see something like Trump’s grotesque response to the protest: He posted an AI-generated video of himself wearing a crown in a jet fighter and dumping loose excrement on protestors.

Saturday was an important milestone in the path to change and the eventual removal of this sick and reckless regime. Saturday was a reminder that there are more of us than there are of them.

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