Millions of Americans are expected to take to the streets on Saturday, October 18, 2025, for the second nationwide “No Kings Day” protests against the Trump administration, as the federal government shutdown enters its third week with no resolution in sight.
The protests, organized by a coalition of more than 200 progressive organizations led by the Indivisible Project, will span approximately 2,000 cities and towns across all 50 states.
In East Central Illinois, protests are planned at the Champaign County Courthouse at 101 E Main St. , Urbana, from 12-2 and at the Monticello Courthouse at W Washington St # 310, Monticello, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
This marks the second major No Kings mobilization, following the inaugural protests on June 14, 2025, which coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and a controversial U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington D.C.. Organizers estimated that over five million people participated in more than 2,100 events during the June protests, making them among the largest coordinated demonstrations since Trump returned to office.
The movement’s name and messaging center on the foundational American principle that “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.” Organizers describe their mission as defending democratic norms against what they characterize as authoritarian displays and erosion of democratic values.
Event organizers emphasize their commitment to nonviolent action and have established clear guidelines for participants. All No Kings events require participants to seek de-escalation of any potential confrontations, act lawfully, and avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted.
The Trump administration has pursued what scholars identify as an extreme interpretation of the “unitary executive theory,” which advocates for the president to have supreme control over the entire executive branch.
The administration has conducted unprecedented mass layoffs of federal workers, with over 300,000 federal civil service positions eliminated since January 2025. During the current government shutdown alone, more than 4,200 federal employees have received layoff notices across seven agencies, including the Treasury Department (1,400+ employees), Health and Human Services (1,100+ employees), and Housing and Urban Development (400+ employees).
These actions violate established civil service protections and represent what experts characterize as an effort to eliminate institutional constraints on presidential power. Trump’s team has specifically targeted inspectors general, FBI agents, and other oversight personnel who traditionally serve as checks on executive authority.
Perhaps most concerning, Trump has deployed National Guard and active-duty military forces in Democratic-led cities across the country without state consent. These deployments have occurred in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago, with administration officials describing America as under “invasion” and waging “a war from within.”
Legal experts note these deployments violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits military involvement in domestic law enforcement. Federal courts have ruled several deployments illegal, yet the administration continues expanding military presence in civilian areas.
The administration has systematically targeted perceived opponents across multiple levels, including:
- Using federal funding as leverage to force political compliance
- Using regulatory agencies to punish critics through license revocations and contract cancellations
- Directing federal investigations against political opponents
- Intimidating civil society organizations and independent media
- Threatening to prosecute lawyers representing opposition groups
The American Revolution was fundamentally about rejecting the concept of absolute executive power embodied by monarchy. The founders designed the Constitution explicitly to prevent the concentration of power in a single individual. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 69, the presidency was carefully distinguished from monarchical power through specific limitations and checks.
The Constitution’s system of checks and balances was designed to ensure “no one branch would be able to control too much power”. The founders understood that “concentrating authority in one body would result in tyranny” and therefore divided government into three co-equal branches with the ability to check each other.
This system requires the president to work within constitutional constraints, not above them. The Take Care Clause obligates the president to “faithfully execute” laws and court rulings, not to reinterpret or ignore them based on personal preference.
