A Pretty Good Start: What 10 Million in the Streets Means To Us
By Carl Davidson
LeftLinks Weekly for June 20, 2025
We will need more than a week to absorb the full impact and meaning of the June 'No Kings' elemental rising on June 14, 2025. Suffice it to say, we've never been here before.
Somewhere between 5 and 10 million Americans took to the streets on that day with a sharp message: 'We're sick of facing the dangers of fascism and war, so stop Trump and all of his enablers now! No Kings! We're a democracy, not an autocracy!'
Examining their scope, the June 14 events took place in over 2,200 cities, towns, county seats, and small villages. They were present in every state, regardless of whether the political terrain was viewed as blue, red, or purple. Every color of the rainbow and every nationality, every sex and gender, young, middle-aged, and senior citizens were proudly waving homemade signs and banners. Many unions were present, alongside a large number of non-union workers who would love to be part of one. But people from all walks of life, including from the middle strata and upper classes, found ways to join in and speak out. And while militant and rowdy at times, it was entirely nonviolent on a scale not seen before.
Reviewing recent history, some compared it to the huge rising against white supremacy and police brutality in 2020, when millions, angered by the police killing of George Floyd, demonstrated nationwide. African Americans took the lead, but they were quickly joined by young people of all nationalities. These insurgencies, which spread over two weeks, occurred in more than 100 cities. Protestors engaged in many battles with police, and in Minneapolis, the police station where it all started was burned to the ground. In the end, some 14,000 people were arrested; however, over 92 percent of the protests remained nonviolent.
Some also looked back to the massive rise of women in January 2017, marked by all the pink hats, following Trump's Inauguration. It was huge, with a turnout of 500,000 in DC, 400,000 in NYC, 250,000 in Chicago, and thousands more in every major city. The events were entirely peaceful and unprecedented, and with a clear message: No retreat on women's rights!
These were all impressive, but in the end, their numbers and scope didn't come near No Kings Day. The only mass protest going beyond it scope was the Black Revolt in the wake of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1965
Starting on that dreadful date, somewhere between 15 and 20 million people, mainly African Americans, took to the streets in over 150 cities. There was no organization leading it all. Everyone took part. Intense battles quickly broke out with the police, with buildings set afire and businesses looted. Forty-three people were killed, another 3000 were seriously injured, and more than 20,000 were arrested. Only when President Lyndon Johnson nationalized the National Guard and called out the U.S Armed Forces to occupy the country's 'inner cities' did the revolt subside.
In the wake of the Black Revolt, U.S. politics shifted rapidly. LBJ gathered all his allies and secured the quick passage of the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts. He also knew the cost of replacing the older ways of ruling. Blacks with voting rights in the South meant pro-segregation Democrats would desert en masse into the Republican Party, and the GOP would dominate the South and much of the West for decades to come.
We can draw a direct line from the 'New Right' that arose from the 1970s backlash to the gains of the Civil Rights campaigns to the right-wing populist, neo-Confederate bloc assembled by Trump following the election of Barack Obama. The current GOP, with its traditional conservatives having been expelled or otherwise silenced, has now brought us to the cusp of fascism and war. At home, Trump's white nationalists have targeted immigrants with brown skin as their means of gutting the U.S. Constitution. Other targets are soon following: LGBTQ people, veterans, women, and insurgent workers. Abroad, Trump's 'Christian Reconstructionists' are using Israel's genocidal expansionism and the fear of Iran to put the wider and deadly wars of the 'Second Coming' Apocalypse on the horizon.
Only a few years ago, very few of us envisioned this reactionary conjuncture, or the vast left and progressive movement arising within it. The phrase "No Kings" encapsulates a rejection of absolute authority and unchecked power, whether wielded by oligarchs or autocratic leaders. In the context of mass demonstrations, it reflects a collective yearning for new systems that serve all citizens and residents, rather than elevating a select few against the many. It is not merely a cry against monarchy but a broader call for equity, transparency, popular participation, and justice in governance. While No Kings protestors defended old norms, most of them look forward to a new and more engaging democracy, to a 'Third Reconstruction,' as the Rev. William Barber and others frame it.
The No Kings events, at their best, awaken us to the innate power of solidarity. They are a testament to human resilience and the collective capacity to demand a better future. When people chant "No Kings," they are not only rejecting systems of excessive power but affirming their belief in self-governance, equality, and the fundamental rights of all citizens.
Our effectiveness, going forward, is shaped by three key factors:
" Clarity of Purpose: The goals of the ongoing 50501 demonstrations must be specific and achievable, whether seeking legislative change, raising awareness, or demanding accountability.
" Nonviolent Resistance: History has shown that peaceful demonstrations, while challenging to maintain in the face of oppression, call out greater public sympathy and international support.
" Persistence: A single day of protest may ignite conversation, but sustained effort is necessary to see tangible change.
Learning from Dr. King, our message is clear: history bends toward justice, but only when pushed by the efforts of a militant minority working to awaken a progressive and anti-fascist majority. Let us continue to rally, chant, and march together in this ongoing journey.