On June 14th, 2025, protests rose throughout the US as a new political movement emerged: No Kings. Much like the George Floyd protests back in 2020 which sparked interest in the political organization Black Lives Matter, this summer’s protests have raised awareness and activity surrounding the movement No Kings, which aims to resist and reverse the policies of the Trump administration.
Founded in response to growing alarms about the actions of the Trump administration and its policies regarding immigration, race, DEI(A) programs, and the rule of law, No Kings boasts the backing of several dozen local and national organizations, notably including the ACLU, Greenpeace, the Human Rights Campaign, and the American Humanist Association. As such, it may be no surprise that the most common refrain among last week’s protests was the call for “No Kings.”
While some on the right have decried the protests as riots, especially regarding the protests in Los Angeles, which occurred for the longest period and began the earliest, such reports appear to be exaggerated and one-sided. The events in Los Angeles began after immigration raids by ICE occurred in the city with little warning, causing one of the most progressive and diverse cities in the nation to grow fearful overnight.
Despite its catchy, Schoolhouse-Rock-style name, No Kings may seem like a passing fad, a summer fling for the American people. Perhaps it is merely the dying call of the songbird of American liberty. But organizers with No Kings have other plans.
If one looks at search trends for ‘No Kings,’ its popularity appears to rise much like an economic bubble. And in similar fashion, it seems to have died out like one, bursting after hitting its peak and falling back to the status quo.
Even so, such momentum cannot be ignored. For a brief window, No Kings had the eyes and ears of every reporter in the nation. If it wants to survive and truly commit to its work, it must harness the power of its newfound social relevance.
Many economists have proclaimed that we now live in an “attention economy,” one driven by trends and clicks, eye-catching photos and titles. If that is the case, then the Trump administration’s rise to power may be attributed to such forces. But how does one maintain No King’s values of peaceful protest, community participation, and long-term action when such things seem antithetical to an attention-driven world?
Perhaps by using social media against itself, using eye-catching marketing, such as the movement’s title and brilliantly simple symbol, to game algorithms and push its message out to broader audiences. Such tactics have been used and perfected by the alt-right for decades now, so the left and center finally catching on seems to be a step towards stability.
Perhaps the answer lies away from social media, through collective action, in particular non-violent action. No Kings has already committed itself to such ideals, with Martin Luther King III, the son of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of many speakers during the initial livestream for No Kings, calling the protestors to:
“commit yourselves to non-violence, not merely as a strategy, but as a way of life. My father told us that nonviolence is the sword that heals. It is the weapon of the strong. It turns enemies into friends and injustice into redemption.” – Martin Luther King III
But No Kings did not merely receive backing from prominent speakers and the national organizations listed above. It has also partnered with local unions, pride organizations, and political organizations, including the Manhattan Young Democrats, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and Albuquerque Teachers Federation.
The Trump administration inadvertently brought the No Kings protests to even more people’s attention by overreacting to the LA protests the week before, deploying the National Guard while citing the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as a direct reason. Regardless of your opinion of Black Lives Matter as a network of organizations, one must admit to their substantial impact on US politics over the last five years. Black Lives Matter may have been on the right track when it comes to continued momentum in a world keen on leaving the past behind.
Looking at what kept Black Lives Matter going, swift responses seem key. While the slogan “Black Lives Matter” started in 2013, the movement really gained public attention and major traction in summer 2020, due to protests for the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
They have stayed relevant through both their catchy marketing materials and through their perfect timing. After the George Floyd protests in May, Black Lives Matter organized protests in response to numerous other killings and events in the US throughout the summer, leading to their persistent voice and recognition as a force in US politics. It seems consistency and persistence may also be important.
These trends may seem obvious at first, but they happen to be precisely the same kinds of advice given to those starting creative projects and careers on the internet. New Youtubers are told that the algorithm will punish inconsistent uploads. New TikTokers feel pressure to jump on the latest dances and sounds. These are all the hallmarks of the attention economy. The very economy which has allowed for the degradation of our social lives and the creation of vulnerabilities in our political systems may also allow movements like No Kings to push back and fix them.
No Kings has already planned protests throughout the next month, both in person and through various collective action campaigns and educational programs. These plans, if kept up throughout the next few months, could make No Kings a new fixture of US politics. I, for one, am interested to see what happens.
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