Washington, D.C. #NoKings rally photos

October 20, 2025

Man with daughter wearing a crown sitting on his shoulder, next to protest sign saying No Kings, Yes Democracy.

No Kings rally participants, 18 Oct. 2025 (A. Kotok)

Alan Kotok. CEO, Technology News & Literature

The No Kings protest rally on 18 Oct. 2025 drew some 200,000 participants, according to reliable estimates. I was there for TechNewsLit to get a ground-level view and produce a visual story of the event.

The crowd was big and loud, but also there to have fun. Many, if not most, participants carried signs, both hand-drawn and printed, that ranged from clever to angry to intellectual to raunchy. And plenty of participants wore costumes, including inflatable costumes like those seen in Portland, Oregon in stand-offs with immigration police.

While several U.S. senators and other dignitaries gave speeches, a disk jockey wearing a chicken suit set-up shop nearby, playing classic rock. Thus, it didn’t take long for people to start dancing. Many news reports told of the street-party vibe. The chicken-suit D.J. certainly helped.

Moreover, the No Kings was a family event. Parents and grandparents brought their kids and grandkids. Plus, the event was patriotic, with American flags everywhere.

See the TechNewsLit photo collection of the rally on Smugmug.

Two women in bright green skirts with protest signs dancing in front of a banner of Donald Trump hanging from the Department of Labor building,

Dancing in front of a banner of Donald Trump hanging from the Department of Labor building near the No Kings rally main stage. 18 Oct. 2025 (A. Kotok)