[Report] "No Kings, We Must Stop Dictatorship"... Anti-Trump Chants Fill New York on Trump's Birthday

Anti-Trump Rallies Held Across the United States on June 14
"Fifty-five Percent of Americans Disapprove of Trump's Job Performance"

On the 14th (local time), a participant is taking a photo at the 'No Kings' rally held at Bryant Park in Manhattan, New York, USA. New York=Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

"Trump has got to go! Trump has got to go!"

On the afternoon of June 14 (local time), chants calling for the resignation of U.S. President Donald Trump echoed through Bryant Park in Manhattan, New York. Despite the rainy weather, a large crowd gathered in the heart of Manhattan to participate in a rally opposing President Trump. The 'No Kings' protest, which was held across the United States, was organized as a counter-demonstration to the large-scale military parade taking place in Washington, D.C. on the same day, marking both the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army and President Trump's 79th birthday. This protest, opposing President Trump's authoritarian actions, was held simultaneously in more than 2,000 locations across the United States.

When Bryant Park was already bustling with citizens gathered for the protest an hour before the rally began at 2 p.m., it was clear that New York was one of the major cities, along with Philadelphia, Los Angeles (LA), and Chicago, where anti-Trump demonstrations had been announced. Citizens held up handmade signs and chanted slogans such as "No kings in America," "Trump must go," and "ICE out." A large number of police officers were also deployed in anticipation of possible clashes.

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Richard Fisher, who attended the protest, said, "President Trump is governing the country by executive order without proper legislative procedures. We have never run this country that way. American democracy is under threat." He emphasized, "Citizens need to attend protests like this to put the brakes on President Trump's dictatorship."

Suran, a 19-year-old second-generation Indian American, said, "I came from Texas today to attend the No Kings protest. My parents are immigrants, and this country was built by immigrants with backgrounds like theirs. I oppose President Trump's threats and oppression against immigrants." He added, "Events like this are important opportunities to demonstrate citizens' rights and freedom of expression. Much of America's foundation was built on the idea that we can challenge those in power and change the system, and these events are an important way to put that into practice."

On the 14th (local time), a participant is taking a photo at the 'No Kings' rally held at Bryant Park in Manhattan, New York, USA. New York=Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

On the 14th (local time), a participant is taking a photo at the 'No Kings' rally held at Bryant Park in Manhattan, New York, USA. New York=Photo by Kwon Haeyoung

At this protest, which is estimated to have drawn about 50,000 participants in New York alone, citizens marched peacefully through the streets of Manhattan, and the event concluded without the anticipated clashes.

The No Kings protests held across the United States stood in stark contrast to President Trump's recent actions, such as deploying the National Guard and Marines in response to an anti-immigration enforcement rally in LA, and holding a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. on his birthday. While the military parade has been criticized as an inappropriate display of power, some analysts interpret the parade as a symbol of authoritarian rule, and the No Kings protest as a symbol of resistance against it.

As President Trump approaches the fifth month of his second term amid deep societal divisions, a majority of Americans continue to view his leadership negatively. According to NBC News, a poll conducted with SurveyMonkey from May 30 to June 10 among 19,410 adults in the United States found that 55% of respondents disapproved of President Trump's job performance, while only 45% approved.

Regarding border and immigration policies, 51% expressed support while 49% were opposed, highlighting clear social divisions. On the issue of President Trump's 'university crackdown' targeting prestigious institutions like Harvard under the pretext of combating antisemitism and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, 56% expressed negative opinions, with 42% strongly opposed. For tariff and trade policies, 60% responded negatively. On inflation and the burden of living costs, 61% gave negative assessments.