Abstract

Mass protests exemplify civic power when democratic institutions falter under perceived executive overreach. The October 18, 2025, No Kings demonstrations represented a resurgent affirmation of America’s revolutionary ethos—an emphatic reminder that no leader stands above the governed. Mobilizing an estimated 5 to 7 million participants across 2,600–2,700 sites in all 50 U.S. states, with additional solidarity events in Toronto, London, and Berlin, the protests reaffirmed that the defense of democracy remains the people’s prerogative.

Organized by over 200 civic and political groups—including Indivisible, MoveOn, ACLU, Public Citizen, SEIU, and the Socialist Equality Party—and coordinated through nokings.org, this movement marked the third major wave of demonstrations since Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025, inauguration. Participation exceeded that of June 2025 (4–6 million) and April 2025 (2 million), confirming a growing momentum consistent with Mancur Olson’s collective action theory, where escalating grievances overcome participation barriers through shared purpose and digital coordination.