What's next after ‘No Kings’ protests? Activists detail plan ‘to save democracy’

The ‘No Kings’ protests against Donald Trump drew a crowd of around seven million

The massive participation in the No Kings protests against United States President Donald Trump has caught the attention of the entire world. Over seven million people took part in the demonstrations. Now, the leaders of the protests are looking forward to what should come next.

As per USA Today, there are already plans for another round of the No Kings protests. The outlet also reports that on October 21, a follow-up meeting was organized by the No Kings protesters, where they tried to chart a way forward. Around 40,000 people attended the meeting virtually. It was decided that a sustainable framework should be created to keep the movement going.

Will there be another ‘No Kings’ protest?

“You've got to get people to start thinking of themselves as active participants in democracy," Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, a group that helped organize the protests, told USA Today. "What I believe is that if people remain simply as atomized individuals under threat by this regime, we will lose. And the only hope that we have is if folks find community and start organizing with each other.”

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the non-profit group Public Citizen, also focused on keeping the activism going.

“A part of the goal here is to arm people with what they need to continue to fight back as we see challenges to all of our rights," Gilbert told USA Today. "That's something that is going to require a massive percentage of the population, people from all different pillars of society, different types of constituencies,” she added.

Upcoming actions and future plans

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been talking about having a general strike. As per The Guardian, he has the support of two influential individuals – Shawn Fain, United Auto Workers president, and Sara Nelson, Association of Flight Attendants president.

“If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do the same today,” Mayor Johnson said in a speech.

Jamala Rogers, executive director of the Organization for Black Struggle, told The Guardian that the goal now will be to identify specific targets – people and institutions – at the local level.

American Civil Liberties Union chief political officer Deirdre Schifeling was more generic in her response. She emphasized that protests must continue peacefully.

The national press coordinator of the non-profit organization, 50501, Hunter Dunn, told The Guardian that they are conducting a survey to decide on the future course of action. However, one thing they are clear about is supporting local organizations in cities where federal action has been more visible.

the general strike option seriously. He wants to educate people about it. Albright also wants more diversity at No Kings protests, a greater participation of Blacks and Latinos.

It is clear that more No Kings protests are likely. As of now, there is no national leadership but a conglomerate of local groups pooling their resources to oppose President Trump’s policies. It would be interesting to see what happens from here on. A general strike might be the next big step.

FAQs

What was the No Kings protest?

On October 18, huge rallies were organized across the United States to protest the policies and the alleged authoritarianism of President Donald Trump.

Who led the protests?

There was not any clear national leadership that emerged for these protests. Instead, many groups, mainly left-of-center, came together in the protests.

Will there be another such protest in the future?

Most organizers want to have another large protest but are unsure as to when that will happen.