No Kings Day: Why June 14th Mattered

Yesterday—June 14, 2025—marked Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. In Washington, D.C., a full-scale military parade rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary. But while tanks and fighter jets filled the capital with noise, another kind of movement was unfolding across the country: No Kings Day of Defiance.

Over five million Americans in more than 2,000 cities and towns joined together in protest. The message? Clear and urgent: we reject authoritarianism. Protesters weren’t just pushing back against a political figure—they were standing against a culture of power-worship, fear, and the slow erosion of democratic norms.

This wasn’t just a coincidence of scheduling. Organizers chose June 14th because it was Trump’s birthday. While supporters gathered for what felt less like a celebration and more like a coronation, others saw something more alarming: a public display of power designed to elevate one man over the many. The kind of event that looks less like democracy and more like something out of a strongman’s playbook.

The protests had real reach and real risks. In Utah, a shooter opened fire on a peaceful crowd. In Texas, lawmakers were rushed from the Capitol amid credible threats. In Los Angeles, protesters were hit with tear gas. And still, across cities like New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and hundreds more, people kept showing up.

“We fought a king in 1775. We’ll fight whatever this is in 2025.”

That quote, overheard at a rally in Pennsylvania, speaks to what this movement is really about. It’s not just a rebuke of Trump. It’s a reminder that in America, we don’t serve kings. We don’t place anyone—politician, billionaire, or celebrity—above the people.

Why It Matters More Than Ever

Some say calling Trump authoritarian is alarmist. But when you look at the pattern—military glorification, loyalty demands, vilifying the press, praising dictators, undermining elections—it’s not alarmist, it’s descriptive. And yesterday, millions of Americans decided they weren’t going to wait around to see how far it goes.

The No Kings Day protests were a wake-up call: that democracy doesn’t protect itself. It needs pressure, participation, and the courage to say “no” when power goes too far. And for one day—on a date chosen for its symbolism—the country remembered what that looks like.

So while some waved flags and shouted Trump’s name at a birthday parade, others stood in the streets holding signs that said "No fascism here," "Democracy lives in dissent," and "Power belongs to the people."

And that contrast? That’s what made June 14th a day worth remembering.

To learn more about NoKings:

In America, we don’t do kings

They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.

https://www.nokings.org/