Organizers of the “No Kings” protests returned on Oct. 18 to lead rallies nationwide to vocalize the peoples’ frustrations with the current U.S. administration. Much of the concerns involved the rapid deployment of ICE agents throughout the nation and their often unlawful arrests of Americans. Furthermore, the protests also pushed back on the authoritarian practices demonstrated by the Trump administration.
A rally held in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois featured numerous Illinois leaders as speakers — including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Congress Woman Delia Ramirez and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. The rally garnered thousands of protesters, many of whom dressed in lighthearted, ironic costumes. It’s a move Marianne LeVine and Daniel Wu of the Washington Post describe as “a rebuke to Republicans portraying the events as ‘hate America’ rallies and the Trump administration’s claims that blue cities like Chicago and Portland are riddled with crime.”
After the rally, the protesters took to the streets and overtook downtown Chicago. According to ABC7 Chicago, it was estimated that 250,000 protesters were in attendance to denounce the Trump administration.
