Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to join the No Kings “Hands off Chicago” protest Saturday, one of roughly 2,500 similar demonstrations against the Trump administration planned across the country and globe, according to event organizers.
The main Chicago rally and march kicks off at noon at Butler Field in Grant Park, located at East Jackson Drive and South Columbus Drive.
Organizers include Equality Illinois, Indivisible Chicago, Chicago Federation of Labor, Personal PAC, Sierra Club Illinois and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
“Our actions and resistance are necessary as Trump sends militarized agents into our communities, silences voters and voices, and hands billionaires giveaways while families struggle,” the event website states. “This isn’t just politics. It’s democracy versus dictatorship. We won’t accept a wannabe king, and we won’t back down in the face of chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
Attendees write slogans and draw on signs for Saturday’s No Kings protests at a sign-making party Oct. 15, 2025, at the Japanese American Citizens League in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Dozens of other local No Kings protests are also scheduled throughout the Chicago area, including Naperville, Elgin, Highland Park, Aurora and Gary.
Millions of protesters nationwide attended the first No Kings protests in June, with massive crowds of demonstrators filling the downtown Chicago event.
Local organizers predict Saturday’s protests will be even larger, fueled by outrage at President Donald Trump’s recent immigration crackdown in the Chicago area and bid to federalize National Guard troops.
The downtown Chicago event includes accessible restrooms, dedicated seating for participants with disabilities and American Sign Language interpretation, according to the event website.
“On Saturday, this is the most important thing you can do,” said Kathy Tholin, board member of Indivisible Chicago Alliance and a Chicago event co-organizer. “Coming together with Chicagoans — with your neighbors, with your friends, with people across the city of Chicago — will be energizing and impactful as we show the nation and the world … where Chicago stands.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/18/no-kings-chicago-protest/
