"No Kings" protest in New York City draws crowd to Times Square for Manhattan march
Thousands of protesters marched from New York City's Times Square to Union Square in Saturday's "No Kings" rally, according to the NYPD. It's the second time this year that the demonstrations were being held across the United States.
The activists peacefully marched from Father Duffy Square down Seventh Avenue to 14th Street in Manhattan in a protest amid the prolonged federal government shutdown and President Trump's deployment of federal authorities to aid immigration enforcement.
The marchers, including some with their children, held signs and flags, with some reading "America was built by immigrants," and "We don't bow to billionaires."
The NYPD said in a post on X that over 100,000 people demonstrated peacefully across all five boroughs. There were no arrests.
It was one of many planned "No Kings" marches across the country Saturday. Other local demonstrations were being held in Brooklyn, New Jersey and on Long Island.
In a post on X, Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote, "Thank you to every New Yorker who showed up today peacefully, powerfully, and with purpose. Standing up for our neighbors and against injustice is what makes America great. New York hasn't labored under a king in more than 200 years. And we're not about to start now."
The first "No Kings" protests were held in June, the day of the president's military parade in Washington, D.C. That day over the summer, tens of thousands of people marched along Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park during the protest in New York.
President Trump addressed the planned "No Kings" events on Wednesday saying, "They have their day coming up. I hear very few people are gonna be there, by the way ... But they have their day coming up, and they want to have their day in the sun."
Protesters share their message
A protester named Gail told CBS News New York she feels now is the time to demonstrate in response to the arrest of immigrants by ICE agents and the government shutdown.
"Things have gotten so much worse in a matter of days," she said. "The fact that we are not working together - the Legislature, you know, the Congress and the Senate to do something about it now."
The name of the protest is a commentary on what demonstrators say is an increasingly authoritarian government under the Trump administration. The deployment of the National Guard to cities like Chicago and Portland were top of mind.
"I don't think anybody voted for having military on the street," Greenwich resident Deborah Pressman said.
"If they had even a shred of dignity, integrity, anything, they would've changed a long time ago," Queens resident Adam Soughou said.
"It just goes to show you that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power," said Drea Herrera, a senior organizer for the New York Civil Liberties Union.
"There was all this talk about how it was going to be this hate-filled, violent protest, and at the end of the day, it's not even, it's a protest, but it was a march, and it was joyful and peaceful," Harlem resident Jeff Peterson said.