Ezra Levin, the executive co-director of Indivisible, which organizes No Kings Day, mentioned on Monday that there’s no need for people to feel anxious about joining protests this Saturday.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show.” “It’s going to be powerful, and it’s going to be part of history.”
Levin expressed disappointment over how the protests have been criticized and specifically called out the Trump administration and its supporters for not using the term “No Kings Day.” House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to it as a “Hate America rally.” This sentiment was echoed by House Republican Rep. Tom Emmer in a conversation with Fox Business Network.
Levin questioned the reluctance to say “No Kings,” suggesting that it reflects an understanding of how inappropriate such a term would be for them. “How can anyone say that’s anything other than the most American thing since apple pie? But I think we need to keep two things in mind at the same time,” he stated.
On one side, he noted the diverse crowd at Indivisible’s protests, consisting of families, pets, and uplifting chants, highlighting the joyful atmosphere. Conversely, he also pointed to authoritarian regimes attempting to stifle free speech.
Indivisible has been actively promoting “No Kings Day,” which will occur at around 2,000 locations across the U.S., including near the Capitol in Washington. This event is framed as a protest against President Trump, his administration, and police practices, following widespread protests that took place in June.
“If your First Amendment rights are under attack and you choose not to participate because of that, then you essentially forfeit those rights,” Levin remarked.
Actor Robert De Niro has collaborated with Indivisible to support the march. He recalled the original No Kings protest from 250 years ago, when Americans decided they did not want to live under George III’s rule. “They declared independence and fought a bloody war for democracy,” he stated in a video.
De Niro added, “We’ve had two and a half centuries of democracy since then, and it’s often been difficult, sometimes messy, and always essential. We fought two world wars to preserve it. Now we have a king candidate who is trying to take it away, Donald I. That’s unacceptable!”
