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No Kings Day’ protests in Seattle, WA and across US: What to know
Oct. 18, 2025 at 10:30 am
Demonstrators carry signs as they march to the National Mall during a “No Kings” protest in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. (Jose Luis Magana / The Associated Press)
By
Seattle Times staff & news services
Thousands gathered in Seattle, throughout Washington and around the country Saturday for another round of “No Kings” protests.
The rallies and marches come amid an ongoing partial federal government shutdown and as President Donald Trump deploys, or threatens to deploy, National Guard troops to Democrat-led cities like Portland, Ore., and Chicago.
Organizers say more than 2,600 protests were planned across the country.
More than 70,000 attended June’s “No Kings” rally in Seattle, along with thousands more protesters across the region. The June rallies coincided with a military parade in Washington, D.C.
We’ll be updating this page throughout the day Saturday with the latest on the protests in Washington state and nationwide.
Fascist regimes and dictatorships are on the mind of many protesters gathered at Seattle Center.
Tori Scott, 44, of Shoreline, said she came out to protect her fellow Americans.
“ (Trump is) just immature and is taking all of his personal issues out on the country,” she said. “He's just turning it into a dictatorship.”
Jeffrey Swanson, 64, of Redmond, said he came to show the government that he won’t stand for Trump’s “fascist” actions.
“There's nothing good about it at all,” Swanson, dressed in an inflatable dinosaur, said. “It's corrupt and they're criminals, and they treat people like (expletive). Especially people who are not white, Christian nationalists.”
12:15 pm
Photos show ‘No Kings’ rallies against Trump across the U.S. and in Europe
A woman displays a “No Kings” sign as she participates in a pro-democracy, anti-Trump protest outside the U.S. embassy at the Pariser Platz square in Berlin, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A woman displays a “No Kings” sign as she participates in a pro-democracy,... (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Protesting the country’s direction under President Donald Trump, thousands of people brought a street party vibe to the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations, which the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies. Earlier Saturday, a few hundred Americans had gathered in major European cities like London and Paris.
See the full gallery here.
—The Associated Press
12:13 pm
'All my outrage won't fit on this sign'
Valerie Elliot, 45, of Bonney Lake, protesting at “No Kings Day”... (Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle TImes)
Valerie Elliot, 45, of Bonney Lake, said she’s protesting in honor of her two children who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. She’s worried about their rights being stripped away.
She also traveled to protest Trump issuing the National Guard in Portland and called his actions “unwarranted.”
“We want democracy and not a dictatorship,” Elliot said.
—Caitlyn Freeman
12:00 pm
Protesters prepare for ‘No Kings’ rally in Everett
Protesters gather on stairs in front of the Snohomish County Courthouse before a... (Ryan Nguyen / The Seattle Times)
In the hours before a "No Kings" protest in downtown Everett, a few dozen participants gathered outside the Snohomish County Courthouse.
The group, which included families and older couples, sat on the steps in front of the courthouse. Several people held signs, reading: “ICE is Gestapo” and “We won’t go back!”
One protester encouraged others on the steps to cheer.
"OK guys," he said. "Who loves America?" The crowd cheered back.
—Ryan Nguyen
12:00 pm
‘No Kings Day’ weather: Showers forecast on day of protests
A morning mixture of clouds, rain, and a touch of clear sky over Green Lake and... (Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times)
Afternoon and evening showers are forecast for the Seattle area Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, as thousands are expected to attend ‘No Kings’ protests throughout Washington state and nationwide.
As a low-pressure system moves into Western Washington from British Columbia, the Emerald City will see a high of 54 with showers after 5 p.m., Seattle Meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz said.
Read the full story here.
—Caitlyn Freeman
11:55 am
Ferguson calls on WA residents to 'speak out peacefully today'
Gov. Bob Ferguson wrote on X on Saturday, "Washington state does not need or want the president to militarize our streets."
He noted violent crime is down in Seattle and throughout the state, and called on residents to "work together as a state to speak out peacefully today and not give Donald Trump what he wants."
11:35 am
Hundreds gather in downtown Seattle
Hundreds of protesters began gathering in Fisher Pavilion before noon... (Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle Times)
Hundreds of protesters began gathering in Fisher Pavilion by 11:30 a.m. ahead of the scheduled march.
Kathy Panks, 71, of Port Townsend, came to send a message to those in power.
“Fascism isn't going to work,” Panks said. “It can't work here. It just won't. It's a stupid idea.”
—Caitlyn Freeman
11:30 am
U.S. 'doesn't feel very free right now,' says one demonstrator
Eryn Anderson
Eryn Anderson, of Sultan, outside Seattle Central College on Saturday. (Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle Times)
Eryn Anderson, of Sultan, brought her kids to protest on Saturday. She said it’s important they know how to use their voices.
“We obviously want their rights to be protected, however they choose to live, to be protected under a free country, and it doesn't feel very free right now.”
—Caitlyn Freeman
11:14 am
Police cars waiting on Capitol Hill
Around 11 a.m. Saturday on Capitol Hill, several Seattle police squad cars were waiting in the wings as "No Kings" protests got underway.
—Trevor Lenzmeier
11:07 am
Crowd exits ferry carrying signs, wearing costumes
Shortly before 11 a.m., around 250 people walked off the ferry from Bremerton at Seattle Ferry Terminal, carrying protest signs and wearing various costumes. The crowd began heading downtown.
—Fiona Martin
11:00 am
Rally-goer wants people to realize 'we're all on the same side'
Emily Cowgill, of Mercer Island, was among the group gathered on Capitol Hill Saturday morning. She said she came to Seattle to rally against President Donald Trump. She said there are "too many" reasons to list why she doesn’t agree with the administration, and cited Trump's criminal record.
“My hope is that everybody realizes that we're all on the same side,” Cowgill said. “Which is to get that guy out of the office. We're all in that together because he's hurting all of us.”
—Caitlyn Freeman
10:57 am
Police block off stretch of Broadway
Police blocked off a section of Broadway from Howell Street to Pine Street near Seattle Central College on Saturday morning. Organizers plan to march toward Seattle Center at noon.
—Caitlyn Freeman
10:47 am
Dozens gather on Capitol Hill
Katy Staton, of Seattle, arrived at Seattle Central College Saturday dressed... (Caitlyn Freeman / The Seattle Times)
Dozens gathered in front of Seattle Central College on Capitol Hill around 10 a.m. to chalk, chant, and cry "no kings."
Katy Staton, of Seattle, came dressed as a handmaid, the women forced to bear children in Margaret Atwood's dystopian bestseller, "The Handmaid's Tale."
She said it’s her duty to come out and protest the Trump Administration as she feels it's stripping away bodily autonomy.
“We were founded on a revolution,” she said.
—Caitlyn Freeman
10:45 am
What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests this weekend in WA
In Seattle, a rally is planned for Saturday at noon at Seattle Center’s International Fountain, followed by a march through downtown. Metropolitan King County Council chair and county executive candidate Girmay Zahilay will speak, along with U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Read the full story here.
10:31 am
‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned nationwide, in what the GOP calls ‘hate America’ rallies
Demonstrators wear costumes and carry signs as they rally at the 14th and U street corridor before marching to the national Mall during a No Kings protest in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Demonstrators wear costumes and carry signs as they rally at the 14th and U street... (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.
This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.
Read the full story here.
—Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro and Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press
Seattle Times staff & news services.
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