Written by In June 2025, the United States witnessed two distinct forms of activities. The “No Kings” protests, a coordinated, nationwide event, saw millions demonstrate against perceived authoritarianism. In Marion, Ohio, a local group exemplified the movement’s grassroots nature, focusing on strengthening democracy in response to civic apathy, with a voter turnout of only 7%. Organizers framed the national protest as a peaceful, ideological stand, reclaiming Flag Day from what they termed the president’s “authoritarian excesses.”
Contemporaneously, Los Angeles erupted in riots, a chaotic and reactive event sparked by large-scale federal raids against transnational criminal organizations. While the government targeted cartel-affiliated criminals, the public perception of indiscriminate immigration enforcement in communities fueled the unrest. The arrest of a prominent labor leader, David Huerta, during these raids escalated localized protests into a national firestorm. The “No Kings” movement was a planned, symbolic political statement, whereas the Los Angeles riots were a spontaneous and violent reaction to aggressive federal law enforcement actions, a clash between a narrative of national security and the reality of community impact. The former was a protest against a would-be king; the latter, a war in the streets.
