On June 14, 2025, people from across the United States participated in No Kings demonstrations to protest the current presidential administration and oppose current governmental and administrative actions that pose an active threat to American society. 

“I've never felt surrounded by so much hope in a time of so much crisis. In San Diego, when we went to the protest, there were over 60,000 people, I believe. It was entirely peaceful. Every single person, no matter their age—there were people as young as literal babies being carried or, like the elderly and disabled, also being there protesting, marching with their signs,” said Raima Dutt, a KSVT senior advisor who spent her summer in San Diego. 

“Being surrounded in that environment for over 2 hours filled me with hope and optimism,” she said. 

The protests were emblematic of resistance, being held at the same time that Donald Trump's military parade and 79th birthday took place. Since his time in office, even Republican political figures have shown a lack of support for Trump, and his approval rating continues to drop. The president has taken actions that target marginalized groups of people, aim to strip American rights, and are unconstitutional, including violent ICE raids , and anti-DEI and anti-trans initiatives. 

The No Kings protests were directly aimed at combating these issues by bringing people from different communities together, fighting for the common purpose of justice, according to those who attended.

“Like many others across the country, I hoped to show to the current government and administration that there are people out there willing to resist their infringements on our rights,” noted former Boyle County senior Campbell Johnson, who attended the protests in South Carolina this past summer. “Freedom should not be easily taken away, and it's up to everyday people to fight back. Even though I'm just one person, I hoped to add another voice to a larger movement. For me, it was also about doing something tangible instead of reading news all day and hoping it would get better,” she added. 

“It was important for me to march because I was born in the United States. I literally had birthright citizenship, and as the child of immigrants, even though they are U.S. citizens, they got it later on after they emigrated,” Raima shared. “If [my parents] were to go out there and protest, they would probably face consequences or risk from police or ICE. At the end of the day, I am safe in this country because of the luck I was born with. And because of that, I have a right to stand up for other people,” she said. 

On October 18, 2025, a peaceful No Kings protest took place in Lexington, Kentucky, hosted by community organizations including the Bluegrass Activist Alliance, Progress Kentucky, and the NAACP Lexington Fayette County Branch, among others. 

“The only word I can use to describe [the crowd’s reaction] is ‘really explosive’ because it was a nationwide gathering, and it was a nationwide gathering of like-minded people and friends. So it was super cool,” said Ezra Anglin, a freshman at LaFayette High School who read the Declaration of Independence aloud at the No Kings protest in his community. “That was one of my first experiences going to a protest.  

"I got a little bit of a taste of that culture, and since then I've not stopped going to events like that, because if you ever go to a protest like No Kings or a rally like No Kings, it is just such an amicable place,” he added. 

“I had never spoken in front of a crowd that large, and I felt that speaking at No Kings was really a great way to do it, because I was making an impact and speaking at something that really mattered to me,” said Maggie Donworth, a sophomore at Tates Creek High School. 

The current, hyper-polarized political environment shows the need to be more united than ever before, and act to make a difference. 

“I think it's really important that everybody can use their voice and actively say that they don't agree with this,” Maggie noted. “Even if it isn't impacting you, you should still use your voice because you never know what's going to happen next. You always want to be fighting the bad, no matter if the bad are targeting you or not.”

On March 28th, 2026, another round of nationwide protesting for the nonviolent movement took place. While speaking to high school students at my local Danville protest, many referenced feeling strongly about immigration, women’s rights, and speaking out against the Epstein Files. 

“I feel like this country is coming to an absolute standstill with everything that's going on. It's only going to get worse, and people need to start standing up for this,” said Mia, a 9th grader at Boyle County. “Everyone is ignoring the Epstein files, like it's all being covered up. It's just so wrong. It's so wrong. Everything is so wrong,” she continued. 

“F[***] ice, f[***] racists, f[***] rapists,” said Andrea, a Boyle County graduate.

Since the No Kings protests that took place last year, social issues in the country have escalated. Multiple civilians have been assaulted and killed at the hands of ICE agents. In response, students all over our country have staged school walkouts to protest the aggressions, including in Kentucky communities like Fayette County. On June 14th, 2026, No Kings and Indivisible are partnering with the Committee for the First Amendment to host a virtual concert. They are encouraging local communities to gather for watch parties, to make art, and connect with neighbors, according to their website. Multiple events and rallies are being organized in Kentucky.

“I think it's important to consider how you will look back on your actions, or lack thereof, in the future. It's always better to do something than sit back and wish you had later,” Campbell added. “If we don't step up, then no one will, and we'll wish we had once it's too late.”