CHICAGO, IL Oct 19, 2025 – Tens of thousands of demonstrators transformed downtown Chicago into a sea of red, pink, and green banners yesterday, marching along the Chicago River and converging on Grant Park in a powerful display of resistance dubbed “No Kings Day.” Aerial footage captured by independent outlet BreakThrough News showed an estimated 100,000-plus participants snaking through the city’s iconic skyline, waving Mexican flags and hoisting signs reading “Hands Off Chicago” and “No One Is Above the Law.” The event, part of a nationwide wave of protests against the Trump administration’s policies, drew international attention after Colombian President Gustavo Petro amplified the video on social media, hailing Chicago as “the city of the libertarian working people… ‘No Kings.'”
The protests, which kicked off around midday on October 18, highlighted growing opposition to what organizers call the administration’s authoritarian drift, including immigration crackdowns, threats to reproductive rights, and perceived encroachments on local autonomy. In Chicago, the rally doubled as a rebuke to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, with chants echoing demands to keep federal overreach at bay.
Petro’s post on X (formerly Twitter), viewed over 850 times within hours, struck a chord across Latin America and beyond, framing the U.S. uprising as a beacon for global labor movements. The video, a two-and-a-half-minute drone flyover, pans across the throng stretching from the riverfront esplanade to the park’s vast lawns, where stages hosted speakers from labor unions, immigrant rights groups, and environmental activists. Participants, bundled against the autumn chill, included families with strollers, union members in high-vis vests, and young activists draped in Palestinian keffiyehs, signaling intersectional solidarity.
This marks the second “No Kings Day” mobilization since June, when an estimated five million Americans rallied peacefully in what became the largest single-day protest against President Trump since his inauguration. Saturday’s actions rippled across the country, with parallel marches in New York City, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles drawing crowds that organizers say could top two million nationwide. In D.C., protesters clashed briefly with counter-demonstrators near the Capitol, but Chicago’s event remained largely festive, with mariachi bands and street performers punctuating speeches.
Key demands included halting mass deportations—many in the Windy City carried signs referencing recent ICE raids—and protecting voting rights amid ongoing legal battles over election integrity. “Do not let Donald Trump and Republicans intimidate you into silence. That’s what they want,” urged a viral statement from protest leaders, echoed by figures like MSNBC’s Joy Reid during live coverage.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling reported no major arrests, crediting de-escalation tactics and community partnerships. “We’re here to protect peaceful assembly,” Snelling said in a post-rally briefing. As night fell, the crowd dispersed under the glow of the city’s skyscrapers, leaving behind a message that resonated far beyond Lake Michigan: in a democracy, there are no kings.
The momentum shows no signs of slowing, with calls already circulating for a third “No Kings” escalation in November. For Petro and his supporters, the images from Chicago serve as a reminder that the fight against inequality knows no borders.