The sounds of one of Chicago’s largest protests in recent memory reverberated throughout downtown streets Saturday afternoon, as tens of thousands gathered in a united admonishment of President Donald Trump and then marched through the center of the city, pausing in front of the tower bearing his name to direct their ire.
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Organizers believed the downtown Chicago protest to be one of the largest among the more than 1,500 “No Kings” protests that were scheduled throughout the country.
Here’s how the “No Kings” protest unfolded in Chicago — and across several suburbs.
Chicago
In Chicago, those attending the downtown demonstration arrived hours before the noon start time, first packing into Daley Plaza and then filling the streets that border it. Many of them carried signs that lambasted and mocked the president, or ones that defended ideals they believe the Trump administration has forsaken.
“Fascism is bad,” read one of those signs. “Rise up, fight back,” said others. “The wannabe king deserves a royal flush,” was written on one poster, near another that read, “Melt ICE.” Read more here.
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Naperville
From immigrant and reproductive rights to DOGE accessing personal data, Sharon Pfister keeps a list of her grievances with Donald Trump’s administration on her phone so she can regularly refer back to them.
One of her latest concerns was the Saturday military parade in Washington, D.C., to recognize the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, which was being held at the same time that veterans benefits are being cut, said Pfister, a Woodridge resident. The military parade also coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.
Despite growing up during the Vietnam War era, Pfister said she had never been to a protest or rally before Trump was elected. But they’re more important now than ever, she said while attending the “No Kings” rally in downtown Naperville.
“I am afraid of our democracy being disembodied little by little,” she said. Read more here.
Geneva
In Geneva, chants of “No kings in America” and “This is what democracy looks like” rang out over seemingly supportive, near-constant honks from cars driving by the large protest that stretched across several blocks of Randall Road.
Protestors in Geneva, who were lined up along Randall Road from Fabyan Parkway to Fargo Boulevard, held up signs that criticized Trump, compared his administration to authoritarian regimes and celebrated American democracy and diversity, among other things.
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“People are mad, and people are ready to speak out,” said Sharon Riggle, who leads Batavia-Aurora Area Indivisible, one of the groups that helped organize the protest in Geneva on Saturday. “This is bigger than anything we’ve had before.” Read more here.
Elgin
The ‘No Kings’ protest rally in Elgin Saturday drew a huge crowd to Kimball Street armed with signs bearing messages like, “Rejecting Kings since 1776,” and chanting in opposition to President Donald Trump’s actions and policies.
Among those in the crowd were Bartlett residents Brittney Hurtado and her 10-year-old son Kevin, who collected money from people who couldn’t attend to purchase water, juice and snacks for protesters.
“Our main reason (for attending) is what’s being done to the undocumented community. It affects us directly, our family, our friends and the people who live around us,” she said. Read more here.
Orland Park
More than 1,200 people lined La Grange Road near Orland Square. A steady stream of supportive honks from vehicles passing along the busy roadway in Orland Park was the prevailing sound during the peaceful demonstration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that extended from 147th Street past 149th.
Passersby were also subjected to scattered chants, the most popular of which was, “No Kings, no crowns, we the people won’t back down.” Orland Park neighbors passed out U.S. flags and waved flags and signs with messages ranging from “Free Palestine” to “Donald Trump is a racist.” Read more here.
Highland Park
The “No Kings” rally held outside of Highland Park City Hall gathered 3,000 for a peaceful protest on Saturday, organizers said. Lauren Beth Gash, chair, Lake County Democrats, says momentum and numbers are growing across the country for standing up to President Trump, and the local response in Lake County is no exception.
“Concerned people are fed up and alarmed on a daily, hourly basis, which prompts them to want to participate,” Gash said. Read more here.
Lake County
A former combat soldier and a onetime Republican who got his first job through the late Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kansas, were among more than 8,500 people in Lake County participating in “No Kings” events protesting the actions of Donald Trump.
Holding a sign that read, “fought for freedom not for a throne” was U.S. Army veteran John McCullough of Grayslake who said he spent six years in the military, including tours of duty in the first Gulf War and on the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea.
“I watched a dictator from a distance,” McCullough said at a rally in Gurnee, referring to the ruler of North Korea. “We don’t need a king whose father paid for him to be a draft dodger. That’s not what my brothers and sisters bled and died for.” Read more here.
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Highland, Ind.
Indivisible NWI organizers in Highland had much to be proud about during the No Kings protest at Indianapolis Boulevard and Ridge Road.
With at least 700 people lining three of that intersection’s four corners in what had to be the largest protest that area has seen in years, Highland Police, while present, were able to stay largely in the background because protestors were more interested in waving their signs than causing calamity. The group also pulled together a 10-person “Safety Team” who went around with cold bottled water and snacks for the crowd, Indivisible NWI Organizer Kim Eldridge said.
More important than the snacks, however, were the signs Safety Team members held that said “Stay back. Stay Safe.” They came in handy during a particularly tense moment with some passersby. Read more here.