On Saturday, October 18, in front of the Space Needle, Rep. Pramila Jayapal addressed a crowd extending for nearly a mile. She began her speech with a quote by a well-known Founding Father:
“At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of a government they were establishing — a monarchy or a republic — to which he famously answered, ‘A republic — if you can keep it,’” Jayapal began. “Well, Seattle, we are at that ‘if you can keep it’ moment.”
Jayapal kept the crowd’s rapt attention for nearly 20 minutes, the final speaker before the procession of protesters, dressed in everything from rain gear to blow-up animal costumes, began their march toward Pike Place Market.
Nathan and Sonya, two locals who participated in Saturday’s march, took their outfit inspiration from the famed “Portland Frog,” an activist at ICE protests there, dressed in a silly inflatable frog costume. “We are doing our part as American citizens to take our country in a direction of sanity, kindness, and peace,” Nathan said from inside a blue blow-up axolotl.
While the costumes may seem unserious to some, Nathan described it as a “psychological recognition that we are not a threat.”
“We’re trying to remind everyone that this is peaceful,” Sonya added. “Everyone here knows that, but everyone around the world [needs to know]. This is a peaceful demonstration, because the government is not peaceful right now.”
The march, which at times seemed more like a disorganized parade, remained peaceful. There were no arrests in Seattle; nationwide, no arrests for violence have yet been reported. People of all ages could be seen walking through downtown Seattle’s streets, from families with young children in strollers to groups of older people who recalled protests from the ’70s.
Calls for peace
Speakers, including Jayapal, emphasized the need for peace amid growing political divisions and acts of political violence nationwide. Jayapal recognized the need not only in America but also “peace in Gaza and around the world.”
With so many gathered from across the left-of-center spectrum, the protest’s overall messages were at times vague. For the most part, protesters seemed to be on the same page as Jayapal, who demanded a “government that works for us — not a king, not for the billionaires,” before specifying the needs of those struggling with debt and calling for affordable housing, childcare, and universal healthcare.
Throughout the protest, the biggest issues voters seemed to advocate for were the abolition of ICE, the removal of National Guard troops from American cities such as Portland and Chicago, freedom for Palestine, and protection and rights for Transgender Americans.
A slew of organizations put together the No Kings protest. One group of activists arrived with Pride flags stretching nearly half a city block. “It’s important to be out here, to be visible,” said Tom, the giant Pride flag organizer. “I didn’t want this march not to have giant Pride flags, because, you know, Trans rights are under attack. Queer rights are under attack. And I’m sick of it.”
Large opposition
Overall, the march was a powerful symbol of the sheer number of Seattleites—and Americans—displeased with Donald Trump’s presidency. The reaction seemed less intense than the immediate pushback toward the administration in 2017, however. That may be a side effect of the vast multitude of transgressions, pulling the focus of protesters in a kaleidoscope of directions.
Jayapal, like many others, pointed out that the overwhelming anti-Trump sentiment Americans are feeling is intentional, as it was orchestrated in Project 2025, which the Associated Press reported three weeks ago is now openly backed by the president.
“As written in Project 2025 and enacted with frightening speed, this is an attempt to destroy our republic, designed to take over control of our government so that it answers only to the king and not to the people,” Jayapal said. “They want to divide us, so that he can take our power and turn it into his power and reward the billionaires, the corporations, those who bend the knee with trillions of dollars of tax breaks and pardons of violent insurrectionists and sex predators.”
The protest failed to lay out any specific course of action, but it showed just how large the community of Americans opposing Trump’s actions is. Speakers like Jayapal encouraged everyone to participate in nonviolent forms of resistance and suggested visiting her website for more information. The overall emphasis of the day was that the greatest strength anti-Trump Americans have for these next four years will be the endurance we find within our communities.
Taking care
The community’s endurance was fortified on Saturday, in part, by a group of locals handing out free water and snacks to all who passed by. “We stopped by before the thing and just grabbed some snacks and water,” said Celeste, a protester, while handing out granola bars. “I’ve done plenty of protests, and it’s something that people always forget about: taking care of their bodies, you know?”
Taking care of bodies is something Celeste knows a thing or two about. In front of the snack cart stood a sign that read “Trans healthcare saves lives, it saved mine.” For Celeste, preserving access to gender-affirming care for Transgender people was a primary motivator to join the march. So was protecting the rights of facilities like Planned Parenthood.
“I get all of my HRT through Planned Parenthood,” Celeste said. “They absolutely saved my life. Being able to get on testosterone and live authentically as a Transgender person has absolutely helped in so many areas of my life. It matters a lot to me.”
Community building was at the core of the No Kings protest. From the communal chants to strangers posing for photos to show off their blow-up costumes to Trans activists handing out snacks and water to weary walkers at the end of the trek, nearly 90,000 Seattleites did something they don’t usually do: connect and share a communal moment with strangers.
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