Politics

The best signs, banners and protest slogans at the No Kings rallies on Oct. 18

Whether you were part of the huge public shows of distrust or not, the messages are unlikely to have passed you by.

Kylie Cooper

Sports-lover turned journalist, born and bred in Scotland, with a passion for football (soccer). He’s also a keen follower of NFL, NBA, golf and tennis, among others, and always has an eye on the latest in science, tech and current affairs. As Managing Editor at AS USA, uses background in operations and marketing to drive improvements for reader satisfaction.

Update: Oct 19th, 2025 08:20 EDT

Across the United States, millions turned out for the “No Kings” protests, a defiant show of dissent against President Donald Trump’s expanding use of executive power. From New York’s packed Times Square to the streets of Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, the message was unmistakable: democracy, not monarchy. Homemade placards and hand-painted banners dominated the crowds, some angry, others darkly funny or heartbreakingly honest, as Americans of all ages rallied to warn that the country’s democratic institutions were under threat.

“This is what democracy looks like”

Though Trump and his allies followed the playbook and dismissed the events as a “hate-America rally,” organisers called it a peaceful assertion of civic power – a reminder, they said, that the president is not a king. With chants of “This is what democracy looks like” echoing through cities and small-towns alike, the protests became as much a gallery of political creativity as a political act.

Here are some of the most striking, clever and moving signs from a historic day of dissent... with a few strong words at times.