Just a few months after the first ‘No Kings’ protest against President Donald Trump’s administration, on Oct. 18, the second ‘No Kings’ protest was held in over 20 countries, in all 50 American states, including the nation’s capital and Puerto Rico. Over 7,000,000 Americans attended protests nationwide.
While Chicago held one of its biggest protests in history with 300,000 people in attendance, the suburbs, such as Naperville, Geneva, Wheaton, Schaumburg, Elgin, Carol Stream, and West Chicago, held their own protests following several incidents in the administration’s newest operation: Midway Blitz.
Following the detainment of six people on Geneva Road, bordering West Chicago and Winfield, hundreds gathered to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Many wore yellow clothing as a sign of support for those detained and the families affected; the yellow was meant to represent unity.
A protestor on Geneva Rd. dressed up as the Superman hero from the famous DC comic book franchise. Recently, DC released a newer version of the Superman movies, where many thought that the character was “too woke.”
Many children and teenagers attended the protests all around the nation, wearing the Burger King crown with a ‘no’ on it and the word ‘king’ being drawn on, a kid-friendly protest sign representing the theme of the protests.
From crowds to buildings and cars, thousands gathered wherever they could in Grant Park, waiting for the guest speakers to give speeches or waiting for the march to start, gathering their signs and posters to show them off.
The No Kings protest followed many protests occurring all over the country since the administration took office. Since then, many have decided to show up at the protest in costume as different cartoon characters. Some say it is to conceal their identity, others say it is for optics.
“Showing up in a costume and when we see all these pictures of guards fighting a SpongeBob, it looks silly, it looks bad for them,” an anonymous protester said.
The Grant Park protest was supposed to start at noon, but many gathered an hour or two before noon, making sure to get a spot near the guest speakers. Thousands walked down the bridges in Chicago, ready to march for the day.
“The support of the crowd joining in and seeing how many people are willing to be in the fight for what is right is what gave me an inkling of hope,” Jenny Cruz, a protester in Chicago, said.
Governor J.B. Pritzker was the last guest speaker for the speech portion of the protest. Pritzker has actively been fighting against President Trump’s policies and has supported anti-ICE groups such as ICIRR and ACLU Illinois. Pritzker gave this speech following his win against Trump after a federal judge blocked Trump from sending Texas National Guard troops to Illinois.
A variety of flags were seen flying through the Chicago wind as thousands marched in protest. Many carried flags from South American countries and Mexico, and others carried Palestinian flags to show support for the country after the newly announced ceasefire. The American flag was flown by many.
As the sun set over Grant Park, chants of “No Kings” echoed through the city streets. What began as a single protest has grown into a global movement, uniting people across generations and borders who share one message: democracy belongs to the people.
This story was originally published on Wildcat Chronicle on October 20, 2025.