Demonstrators in North Texas braved heavy rain to condemn policies of President Donald Trump.
By Sarah Bahari, Matt Kyle, Devyani Chhetri and Imelda García
Staff Writers
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Millions of protesters marched in Dallas and cities across the country Saturday to fight the policies of President Donald Trump and what they see as rising authoritarianism.
By noon, some 3,000 people had flocked to downtown Dallas’ Pacific Plaza, waving American flags and carrying signs that read “Human rights are not political” and “Democracy dies in silence.”
Dallas was among more than 2,600 cities with planned “No Kings,” protests in what some organizers predicted would be the largest one-day protest in modern American history.
This marked the second round of “No Kings” demonstrations. The first, in June, drew millions to Dallas, Fort Worth and cities around the country, but organizers expected an even bigger turnout Saturday. The latest round of protests came as fury is growing over the deployment of National Guard troops in U.S. cities, immigration raids and a government shutdown.
“We are here because Donald Trump has gone too far,” Samantha Mitchell, with Indivisible Dallas, one of the organizers, said to cheers. Mitchell said the demonstration was “bigger than a political disagreement” or a political party. “This is about humanity.”
Demonstrations packed New York City’s Times Square, Chicago’s Grant Park and Houston’s downtown. Protesters also gathered in suburbs like Denton, Flower Mound, McKinney and Plano. In Fort Worth, thousands marched through downtown, including women dressed in the signature red cloaks worn by handmaids in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Some Republican lawmakers have condemned the demonstrations as “Hate America” rallies and sought to portray protests as a rally of radicals far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, nearing its 20th day.
“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday.
In North Texas, scattered showers and occasionally heavy rain did little to dim enthusiasm. When rain began to fall in Dallas, protesters cheered, many taking cover under umbrellas and ponchos. A live band performed songs from Rage Against the Machine.
Greg Alford of Dallas said he had goosebumps as he arrived at Pacific Plaza.
Some Republican lawmakers have condemned the demonstrations as “Hate America” rallies and sought to portray protests as a rally of radicals far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, nearing its 20th day.
“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday.
In North Texas, scattered showers and occasionally heavy rain did little to dim enthusiasm. When rain began to fall in Dallas, protesters cheered, many taking cover under umbrellas and ponchos. A live band performed songs from Rage Against the Machine.
Greg Alford of Dallas said he had goosebumps as he arrived at Pacific Plaza.
“I love the USA,” she said. “I miss our USA and hope that we can come together and love one another again instead of this separation that this tyrant has brought on.”
Photos: Dallas “No Kings” protest floods downtown with thousands fighting the Trump administration.
Many protesters cited anger over the Trump administration’s widespread crackdown on immigration as their reason for coming. Agustin Ascencio said his grandmother moved to the United States more than 30 years ago seeking a better future and freedom for her family.
“It’s our turn to defend that freedom now that everything is so difficult for Latinos,” said Ascencio, who carried a sign that read: “My abuela came for freedom, I’m here to defend it.”
Shortly after 1 p.m., protesters in Dallas began to chant “Release the files,” urging the Trump administration to release documents related to sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
Although Dallas’ gathering was largely peaceful, a small altercation broke out after the march when a protester tried to grab a counter-protester’s MAGA hat and the two sides traded barbs. A protester then pushed a counter-protester, as witnessed by Dallas Morning News reporters. Volunteers urged the crowd to disperse as Dallas police arrived.
In downtown Houston, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Daniel Aboyte Gamez, 30, joined a few hundred other protesters. “I don’t understand what’s going on in this nation right now,” said Gamez, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. “As a Marine Corps vet, I understand that the United States was founded upon action against tyrants, against kings.”
Gov. Greg Abbott said he deployed the state’s National Guard to the Austin area ahead of the protests. “Violence and destruction will never be tolerated in Texas,” Abbott said.
Texas Democrats criticized the move, accusing Abbott of trying to intimidate people exercising their First Amendment right. As of late Saturday afternoon, that demonstration remained peaceful.
Staff writers Zacharia Washington and Aria Jones and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Sarah Bahari
Sarah Bahari is a trending news reporter. She previously worked as a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she covered a bit of everything. She is a graduate of Kansas State University.
By Matt Kyle
Matt is a breaking news reporter. He is a graduate of Baylor University and is a native of San Antonio. When not writing, he enjoys listening to blues and folk music and playing his guitar. Previously, Matt has written for the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Before joining the Dallas Morning News, Devyani Chhetri covered South Carolina politics and presidential primaries at the Greenville News. She went to Boston University for graduate school.
Imelda García is a journalist covering Hispanic food and Latino culture trends. She previously worked as a reporter for Al Día, the Spanish-language publication of The DMN. Before working at The DMN, she developed most of her career in national outlets in México.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
