Nationwide protests broke out on Saturday, October 17th. These organized protests were for a movement called ‘no kings’ day. This is the second chapter of ‘No Kings’ day protests, with the first one occurring on June 14th 2025.
These protests were in response to a slew of things happening in the country right now, such as the government shut down, and troop deployments in various U.S. cities, including Portland.
The protest has been deemed ‘No Kings’ because America was founded on resisting authoritarian rule. Now, some citizens feel that Donald Trump has over extended his power as president, leading to the name.
The intended purpose of these movements is to be non-violent. A common symbol of the protests became the symbol of frogs after a protestor in Oregon stood in front of the Ice headquarters in a blow-up frog costume, before being attacked by Ice agents. An Ice agent sprayed pepper spray into the air flow duct of the protesters’ costume in retaliation to his peaceful protest outside the building.
This event is the context to many protestors wearing funny costumes, reinforcing the idea that these protests are meant to be peaceful.
The protests this past weekend had a bigger turn out than the ones in June because there was an increased awareness about their significance. One of the cities that was predicted to have a bigger turn out was Portland, since it has experienced significant tension due to the presence of the National Guard.
Music, chants, and laughter filled the air as people marched the streets and across the many bridges of Portland. Some individuals even brought instruments – shaking tambourines, blowing trumpets, and tapping drums while they protested. This beat pushed and encouraged people to keep marching for their cause.
Ultimately, there were over 40,000 protesters in Portland alone. This great demonstration shows the frustration of many Americans, not only in Portland but across the country as a whole.