CINCINNATI — Thousands of protesters showed up across the Tri-State for "No Kings" protests on Saturday.
Opponents of President Trump’s administration are rallying in hundreds of cities during the military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincides with Trump’s birthday.
The "No Kings" protests are to counter what organizers say are Trump’s plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and Flag Day. "No Kings" follows several days of nationwide protests against federal immigration raids, including in Los Angeles, where Trump’s deployment of the National Guard further agitated his opponents.
See "No Kings" protests across the Tri-State in the video player below:
In Cincinnati, thousands of people showed up to a rally on the University of Cincinnati campus at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The Cincinnati Police Department later said they estimated 8,000 people were in attendance at the rally.
UC sent out an announcement stating that due to the protest, the campus is closing all of its garages to the public. The garages include CCM, Calhoun, Corry, Woodhouse and Campus.
Potesters can be heard in the video below chanting, "This is what democracy looks like."
CPD Assistant Chief Matt Flagler said there were no arrests or citations made during the protest at UC. He also three people were treated for a heat-related illness at the event.
Across the Roebling Suspension Bridge in Covington, our news partner LINK nky reported that Campbell County resident Brandon Long told them hundreds attended the event.
“There were people from all sides of the political spectrum,” Long told LINK nky. “I was standing next to a veteran who told me, ‘This is not why I fought for this country.'”
The community could be seen holding signs on the sidewalk at the base of the bridge.
“It was wonderful to see the community come together to say together that this is our republic, and we won’t stand for this,” Long said.
People came out with signs and flags to rally in Middletown, which is Vice President JD Vance's hometown.
Protesters were seen standing on each side of Towne Boulevard at the mall, chanting "No Kings" as cars driving by beeped their horns at the protesters.
Greg Fichtner drove from West Chester, where another "No Kings" protest was scheduled, so he could send a message directly to Vance by protesting in the Vice President's hometown.
"That's awesome that we can have a word for JD Vance," Fichtner said.
He brought a large pre-printed "No Kings" sign to hang along the roadway.
"I just wanted to help all of the people that were trying to get the word out. We've got a bad problem. I feel like we're in a revolution. We've got to stand up and do our part," Fichtner said.
A 10-and-a-half-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Terry Stephens said he came to the Middletown protest because he's called the area home for decades and felt Democracy was being threatened by the Trump administration.
"Trump hates this sort of thing, so it will resonate with him," Stephens said.
As the rally in Middletown began to wrap up for the day, there was a crash on the road where protesters were located. Our crew caught a woman being carried out on a stretcher with protesters standing on the sidewalk behind her.
#UPDATE: As the Middletown No Kings rally winds down, we have a fender bender.The woman being loaded onto a stretcher here appeared to be taunting the protesters before she rear ended a woman in a Subaru.Everyone appears to be ok.@WCPO https://t.co/XBX7tLu0AB pic.twitter.com/2kz3Ps2Vrd
— Sean DeLancey (@SeanDeLanceyTV) June 14, 2025
In Loveland, people lined the street in front of Loveland Elementary School. They could be seen holding signs with phrases including "No Kings," "Resist like it's 1776," "They're eating the checks, they're eating the balances," and "We the people deserve better" written on them.
The rest of this story was taken from the Associated Press
The Army birthday celebration had already been planned. But earlier this spring, Trump announced his intention to ratchet up the event to include 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rolling through the city streets. He has long sought a similar display of patriotic force.
Why is it called 'No Kings'?
The "No Kings" theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
Protests earlier this year have denounced Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, the now former leader of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, a government organization designed to slash federal spending. Protesters have called for Trump to be “dethroned” as they compare his actions to those of a king and not a democratically elected president.
"They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services," the group says on its website, referring to the Trump administration and its policies. "They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies."
Why are they protesting?
The No Kings Day of Defiance has been organized to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics and the militarization of the country’s democracy, according to a statement by organizers.
Organizers intend for the protests to counter the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, which Trump has ratcheted up to include an expensive, lavish military parade. The event features hundreds of military vehicles and aircraft and thousands of soldiers. It also happens to be his 79th birthday and Flag Day.
"The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us," the "No Kings" website says. "On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t — to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
Where did the protests happen?
Protests include 12 locations around the Tri-State and nearly 2,000 locations around the country, from city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, organizers said.
No protests are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., however, where the military parade will be held. The group says it will “make action everywhere else the story of America that day.”
“No Kings” plans instead to hold a flagship march and rally in Philadelphia to draw a clear contrast between its people-powered movement and what organizers described on their website as the “costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade” in Washington.
What was planned at the "No Kings" protests?
People of all ages came together in the protest locations for speeches, marching, carrying signs and waving American flags, organizers said in a call Wednesday.
On the group’s website, it says a core principle behind all "No Kings" events is a commitment to nonviolent action, and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation.
No weapons of any kind should be taken to "No Kings" events, according to the website.
How many people participated?
The "No Kings" Day of Defiance was expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said. Organizers said they were preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states and commonwealths.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story erroneously reported "more than a thousand" people were in attendance at the "No Kings" protest on UC's campus when it was estimated 8,000 in attendance.
