Raging Democrats accused President Donald Trump of seeking a “Civil War” rematch during massive “No Kings” protests across the country.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) made the claim in an explosive speech Saturday, telling the crowd to “be ready to defend this democracy” and “fight fascism.”
“Are you prepared to destroy authoritarianism once and for all? We’ll let the world hear you, no kings!” Johnson shouted as the crowd erupted.
He warned that residents should brace for “a rematch of the Civil War,” while vowing that the liberal city would remain on the front lines of resistance against the Trump administration.
“The attempt to divide and conquer this nation will not prevail because when the people are united, justice always prevails,” he said. “If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do the same today.”
The president’s allies have criticized Chicago and other blue cities for allowing chaos to unfold, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to approve a National Guard deployment.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded major U.S. cities as part of the “No Kings” movement opposing what they call Trump’s “authoritarian” leadership.
The rallies were held in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., featuring actors Jack Black and John Cusack alongside top Democrats, including Bernie Sanders, Raphael Warnock, and Chris Murphy, as the Daily Mail reported.
Cusack told CNN, “No, you can’t put troops on our streets. You can’t create enough chaos to invoke the Insurrection Act so you can stay in power. We all know what your plan is.”
Senator Sanders addressed a crowd in DC, calling out what he described as “a Republican administration trying to destroy free speech.” Murphy accused the president of “enacting a detailed, step-by-step plan to destroy all the things that protect our free speech.”
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson fired back on Fox News, labeling the protests “a hate America rally” filled with “the pro-Hamas wing” and “antifa people.”
The protests drew large crowds internationally, with demonstrations in the UK, Italy, and Germany. In Italy, protesters displayed obscene signs attacking Trump.
Governors in several states, including Texas and Virginia, placed their National Guards on alert as fears of unrest grew. “Texas will NOT tolerate chaos,” Gov. Greg Abbott said on X. “Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin echoed that warning, saying there would be “zero tolerance” for violence. “Virginians have a fundamental right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but that right does not include the destruction of property or violence of any kind,” he said.
The president brushed off the protests, telling reporters, “I hear very few people are gonna be there, by the way. But they have their day coming up and they want to have their day in the sun.”
The “No Kings” coalition insists the rallies are peaceful and says organizers are trained in de-escalation tactics. But with 2,500 protests planned nationwide, officials remain on edge.
The group’s website describes its mission as a stand “against kings, dictators, and tyrants,” declaring, “This country does not belong to kings. It belongs to We the People.”
