Khaberni - The American public is preparing today, Saturday, for a broad national wave of protests under the slogan "No Kings", with a schedule that extends -according to media and organizational estimates- to about two thousand events in approximately 1700 cities across the United States, while local numbers are raised to more than 2500 anticipated protest events.
The movement targets what its organizers describe as "the growing authoritarian trend" in President Donald Trump's administration, and his policies towards immigrants and civil liberties, in the context of an ongoing government shutdown that increases the severity of social and political tension.
The "No Kings" movement began with extensive demonstrations in June, where organizers estimated participation at more than 5 million protesters in over 2100 cities, before calls for escalation returned this week, against a backdrop of enhanced federal presence and the appearance of masked security elements in some cities, which the US administration sometimes denies or justifies as "order preservation measures".
Core Demands
Organizers, along with their legal and civil allies, raise a set of demands led by stopping the expansion of federal and military presence in cities, based on recent judicial rulings that have restricted the deployment of the National Guard, and considered political protest does not rise to "insurrection" that justifies military intervention.
Organizers also demand an end to masked policing practices and ensuring that the public can identify officers and their institutional affiliations.
In the area of immigration, networks involved such as the "American Civil Liberties Union" call for curbing sweeping raids and deportation and stopping abuses attributed to federal agencies.
Analyses suggest that this movement comes to counter what protesters call the "authoritarian agenda" of the American president and their adherence to the rule of law and the freedom of peaceful demonstration.
In this context, Eman Awad, the National Director of Policies at the "Emgage" foundation, which is concerned with enhancing the political participation of Muslim communities in Washington, says, "The slogan 'No Kings' reminds Americans of the very reason their nation was originally established, namely the rejection of absolute rule, and today it is a call for accountability and equality."
She adds that this slogan expresses a growing public concern that some leaders might "circumvent or exceed" the rules, and emphasized that protecting democracy demands that governance remains subject to the will of the people, not the opposite.
Wide Organization
The movement "50 States.. One Protest" -known briefly as "50501"- leads the national coordination of the protests through its local branches, and alongside it, major civil organizations such as the "Indivisible" movement and "Public Citizen" participate in logistical support, raising awareness, and preparing legal guidelines for protesters.
Prominent unions and labor federations have also announced their support for the movement, among them the American Federation of Teachers, the Communications Workers of America, and the American Civil Liberties Union, entities with significant organizational weight that mobilize their members in major cities.
Discussing his reasons for participating in Saturday's protests in the capital, Washington, Eric Reyes, a member of the American Federation of Teachers, says, "What’s happening in the country is no longer an ordinary political disagreement, but a matter of human dignity. When immigrant families are torn apart, and military forces spread through the alleys, we feel that the values upon which this country was built are crumbling, and that’s why we need to fill every street tomorrow to express our rejection of these policies."
The federal government entered a partial shutdown since the first of October, following Congress's failure to pass the necessary budgets. This has forced at least 700,000 federal employees into compulsory leave, while hundreds of thousands are compelled to work without pay in essential institutions.
Decisions to lay off more than 4100 employees in 7 agencies have also been issued, but a federal judge has temporarily suspended their execution pending a determination of their legality. Observers view this shutdown as a political tool that the administration uses against its opponents, contributing to the public outrage and adding momentum to the protests.
Republican Attack
A government employee threatened with compulsory detention -who preferred to remain unnamed- reported that she decided to participate in Saturday's protests despite her fears of job-related consequences. She said, "I have never felt that my voice was as important as I feel now, me and hundreds of my colleagues are threatened with layoffs due to Trump's reckless decisions, and that’s why we must act to stop this despotism."
On the other hand, senior Republican officials have launched a verbal attack on the "No Kings" movement, describing it as "an anti-America hate march and an attempt to tarnish patriotism", among them House Speaker Mike Johnson, who considered the upcoming assembly "a hate protest", and linked it with "Antifa currents and advocates for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)".
Republican Representative Tom Emmer also stated that the organizers are seeking to promote an ideological agenda hostile to the regime, claiming that the event is part of a radical project antagonistic to the American political structure.
Senator Ted Cruz criticized the "No Kings" protests in a media interview, accusing them of being supported by external progressive forces like George Soros, warning that this support might be used to escalate riots in the country.
President Donald Trump has also accused American businessman Soros of being "the main financier of extremism in the United States".
