No Kings Day protesters could top 75K in NYC, as NYPD, Port Authority increase presence

New York Post

16 hours ago

More than 1,500 'No Kings Day' rallies are expected to disrupt hundreds of cities in all 50 states Saturday, protesting President Trump as the Army's 250th anniversary military parade takes place in Washington, DC.
A map on NoKings.org shows planned demonstrations across the US and Canada in what organizers call 'a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.'
Jamie Bauer, a representative of No Kings, told The Post that crowds could exceed 75,000 in New York City alone.
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7 New York City protesters could exceed 75,000 as 'No Kings Day' rallies are expected to disrupt hundreds of cities in all 50 states Saturday — protesting President Trump as the Army's 250th anniversary military parade takes place in Washington, DC. A No King's demonstration was also held in NYC in April (above).
ZUMAPRESS.com
In the summer of 2020, the largest protest over the death of George Floyd drew 25,000 people. A law enforcement source told The Post they 'have to be prepared for those kinds of numbers on Saturday.'
The Port Authority is also beefing up security at the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln and Holland tunnels, as well as bus terminals and PATH stations.
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The No Kings site notes that 'folks should stay on sidewalks and not block any traffic.'
7 More than 1,500 rallies are planned across the US as well as Canada.
nokings.org
The law-enforcement source said the NYPD is less concerned about planned groups like Rise and Resist and more worried about unannounced potential 'troublemakers' in the mix.
Here's where and when No Kings Day events are scheduled in NYC:
Manhattan
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The city main march planned is set to take place at 2 p.m. EST at Bryant Park and move down Fifth Avenue to Madison Square Park.
7 NYC's main protest will begin in Bryant Park.
Tamara Beckwith
A second 'spur march' will form one block north, at Grace Plaza. It will be 'a New Orleans-inspired funeral second line parade as a unique artistic delegation,' according to organizers.
Another rally is planned at Columbia University, specifically for Columbia faculty, staff, students and alumni, at 1 p.m. outside the school's gate at 116th and Broadway. Demonstrators then plan to 'travel' to Bryant Park, and organizers have instructed attendees to bring a MetroCard.
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A spokesperson for Columbia told The Post the demonstration is expected to occur off school grounds, and therefore is being managed by the NYPD.
7 A No Kings demonstration is planned for the gates outside Columbia University, which has seen many pro-Palestine rallies since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.
James Keivom
Brooklyn
A No Kings Brooklyn protest is scheduled for 1 p.m. at a 'private' location, reported by Patch to be at Cadman Plaza West and Johnson Street.
A stationary rally is also planned at Grand Army Plaza at 1p.m.
Queens
Demonstrators will meet at 12:30 p.m. at MacDonald Park in Forest Hills before marching along Queens Boulevard to Maple Grove Park, where a second rally is planned.
7 A No Kings demonstration, including a protester from Queens, took place in Longmont, Colorado, in April.
Chris Goodwin/desrowVISUALS/Shutterstock
Staten Island
At 1 p.m., a No Kings protest is planned at 1698 Victory Boulevard, between Fairview Avenue and Manor Road, in Castleton Corners.
No Kings is orchestrated by the 50501 Movement — short for 50 protests, 50 states, one movement — a grassroots group that reportedly formed on Reddit. They have held several No Kings rallies this year, including in on President's Day.
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'The No Kings movement is committed to a non-violent, peaceful expression of our horror at this administration's blatant and dangerous disregard for the Constitution,' Bauer said. 'The NYPD has been respectful of our first amendment rights in the past, and we don't expect that to change.'
Long Island protests are planned in Port Washington, Mineola, Huntington, Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Hampton Bays, Sag Harbor, Orient and East Hampton.
7 There have already been several No Kings rallies this year, including this one in Philadelphia.
AP
Nearby marches will take place in Weehawken, Yonkers and Jersey City.
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Other 'flagship' rallies are planned in Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Charlotte and Atlanta.
'From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like,' organizers declared on their website.
Protest organizers have dubbed the Army parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, 'a made-for-TV display of dominance for [Trump's] birthday.'
That event, which will travel down the National Mall, reportedly will include uniforms, arms and vehicles from every major American war, starting with the Revolutionary War and including Abrams tanks and P-51 Mustangs.
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7 Saturday's protests will be held at the same time as a Washington, DC, parade celebrating the US Army's 250th anniversary. The day is also President Donald Trump's birthday.
AP
No Kings pledged not to hold a rally in DC, after President Trump warned that protesters at the military parade would face 'very heavy force.'
'Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together,' the group's site says.
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While there is no mention of masks on the No Kings site, attendees are encouraged to sign up for individual protests with their name, email and phone number.
Organizers emphasized 'a commitment to nonviolent action' on the signup, saying, 'We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.'