“No More Kings” Organizers say a fire of anger is driving an unmatched flood of protesters onto the streets for what they believe will be the largest single day of protest in modern American history.
2,500 events are scheduled in big cities and small communities across the nation, vastly outnumbering the 1,800 events scheduled before the June 14 No More Kings protests.
If the added numbers of people on the 18th relate to the June baseline, we can expect to see more than six million Americans on the streets!
That’s a lot of signage! I wish I had bought shares in Markers.
What should be emphasized at the outset, is that this is being driven by OPTIMISM. Americans are optimists. Some 87% of Americans think that life will improve.
It is because they expect improvement, that they go out of their minds when they see incompetence, waste, and cruelty.
A bribe of $40-billion to support Trump’s friends who bet big on Argentina, for example, is not playing out well with the crowds. “This is corruption in real time,” said one critic.
Trump’s people are responding with the care and concern about the protests they have shown all along: White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded: “Who cares?”
And it is because the average American citizen has absorbed the lesson of Constitutional equality, that they are so ready to translate their passion into public protests.
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement, sent troops into several Democratic-controlled cities, made massive changes to American health care and eroded First Amendment rights, said a spokesperson for one of the organizing groups, Public Citizen. “People are saying ‘I’ve never been moved to action before, but now I feel like I have to,’” said copresident Lisa Gilbert.
Indivisible cofounder Ezra Levin, another of the organizer groups, added that authoritarian regimes “fear more than anything one thing, which is the mass, peaceful, organized population pushing back against their unpopular designs on the system.”
Hosting organizations include long-standing activism groups like MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign and Working Families Power, and 50501.
Ridiculing the Trump attempt to instill fear in the protesters, Gilbert said “What you’ll see on No Kings II in October is a boisterous, joyful crowd expressing their political opinions in a peaceful, joyous way. People with dogs, people with kids, people with funny signs, music, dancing, laughing, community building, and a sense of collective effervescence”.
Because people are so creative, it is impossible to anticipate the wit and wisdom of the signage, but one symbol has popped up that is helping to unite people with a shared purpose.
It is a bit weird.
The inflatable frog.
When you are staring down a military occupation, an inflatable cartoon is an Aces High kind of move. One person described the feeling: “Have you seen those inflatable yard displays for Halloween and Christmas? It’s like being suspended inside one of those,” he laughed.
Seeing ICE agents stand bewildered while surrounded by frogs, chickens, cows, penguins and raccoons is a win already.
There is no respect.
Which is part of the message, of course.
Actor Robert De Niro crystalized the full message in an online note: “The original No Kings protest was 250 years ago. Americans decided they didn’t want to live under the rule of King George III. They declared their independence and fought a bloody war for democracy. We’ve had two and a half centuries of democracy since then, often challenging, sometimes messy, always essential. And we fought in two world wars to preserve it. Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away, King Donald I. F‑‑‑ that!”
You can’t get more to-the-point than that.
And as American things tend to do, this one has gone global. Over 18 countries have now planned No Kings demonstrations showing solidarity with the American people. The following countries participating: • Portugal • Spain • Netherlands • Norway • Sweden • Belgium • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Italy • Ireland • United Kingdom • Canada • Mexico • Costa Rica • Japan.
America: you are not alone!
Here are a few images I put together from the earlier protest:
Please send me your photos from the October 18th event…I will get them out as soon as possible!
My email is:
Thanks and have fun!
Thank you for following Barry’s Substack, focusing on the meaning behind the headlines. A regular summary of a topical book every few weeks helps full subscribers stay ahead of the conversation.
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In the next two weeks we will expose Justice John Roberts as a reactionary politician in robes with reactionary anti-democratic machinations that threaten our nation’s existence.
Recent features have delved into:
My nearest No Kings protest is in Carson City NV, 45 minutes away from me. It's from 8:30 - 10:30 am. My sign is ready.
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🔶🚫 No Kings 2.0🔸OCTOBER 18🔸🎃🔸🐁🔶
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🔶🔶🔶🔶 T H A T ' S 🔸T O D A Y ! 🔶🔶🔶🔶
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No crown survives the lie. No lie outshines the moon.
https://www.nokings.org/
✍️ Elbows UP! 👻🧓🎩✈️
"I’ve seen this before, Abraham. In Germany... I saw it in Salem... I saw it in ME - when I asked myself how long I’d stay silent." Twain twirled the wheat stalk between his fingers.
He then put the stem into his mouth and began chewing, "And they still wait... For what? For permission? For a savior? For more Bull?"
"When people forget how to complain - Samuel - they only remember how to obey." Lincoln watched the ants climb their hill. "And, when they forget how to obey, they learn that they had better be ready to kneel," Lincoln sighed. "That's how it is."
"Hitler didn’t begin with the Jews, Abraham," Twain said.
"He began with the courts. They were supposed to be there to STOP him." Twain looked up and glared at Lincoln, "And, we've now got Roberts & Roberts - two men with the same ambition. They mean to build a Christian nation of white Quackers."
"You meant Samual, to say - Quakers?" Lincoln pointedly asked. "Ducks are not white Sam."
"They're not swans either, Abe. Not Quakers. Quackery. Loud Quacks that are all insane - convinced God votes Republican."
Lincoln pursed his lips, as he looked down again in shame, "My party was not supposed to be like this, Samuel."
"Well, IT IS! They want a country where faith is law, law is scripture, and scripture is whatever they say it is. What are you going to do about that Abraham?" Twain demanded.
Lincoln stared straight ahead into the distance. "I had a talk with the vile ignoramus," Lincoln confessed.
"YOU DID?!" Twain couldn't believe what he had just heard. His eyes lit up, "In the White House? Could he hear ya? How did that go?!"
"No, I regret he could only see me. I had to shake my head a great deal. He almost made it spin," Lincoln's face showed terrible disdain, trying to rid a revolting vision of constant vomiting.
"I see." Twain said, "So, he had to ask you questions and you nodded yes or no to each of them."
"That we did, Samual," Lincoln said.
"What did he ask for first?" Twain leaned forward eagerly.
"He asked me if I was Lincoln's ghost," Lincoln said.
"What a fool! What did he think you were, a coffee table? Was it in the bedroom? I mean where were you? Tell me what happened AFTERWARDS!"
"He then asked if he was going to heaven," Lincoln said in disbelief.
"Oh that's a doozie!!" Twain roared, as Lincoln broke into laughter with him. "Who would actually sponsor him? He thought you were there to take him back with you?!"
"I tried to look as grim of the reaper as I could," Lincoln made a scowl with clenched teeth as he slightly parted his lips - like he was burning mad. He held his eyes wide open, and starred starkly forward, with a shadowy cold stoneface.
"Oh, I would have loved to have been there to have seen that!" Twain chortled. "You could have been the ghost of Marley himself! Is that when your head almost spun about?"
"Not quite, Samual," Lincoln spoke through gritted teeth and mimicked what he did, "I emphatically, and very deliberately turned my head slowly from side to side thus."
"Oh, he must have thought his disposition was going to be something much more serious," Twain reflected, "Where did he think he was going?"
"He sought confirmation that he wasn't going to go up," Lincoln held his reaper look as he raised his finger. "He pointed his hand skywards."
"What did you do, POINT TO THE GROUND?" Twain slapped his knee as he almost busted his gut in hysterics.
"No, I reached out my arm to point a boney finger at him," Lincoln said. "I motioned to have him lower his aim."
"And, did he?" Twain asked astounded.
"Not at first, Samual." Lincoln let his face go, "He extended his palm to just above his head." Lincoln raised his own hand along side the chimney of his hat and held it level.
"And, I presume you strongly disagreed with that," Twain said.
"He then lowered it to his eyes," Lincoln said. "And, asked if that was still heaven. Again, I had to say NO."
"Good man! He must have been getting very concerned," Twain reflected.
"His smirk disappeared when he brought it down to his nose," Lincoln said. "He asked if that was good enough."
"It's like trying to train a dog," Twain remarked.
"His mouth fell open when he brought it down to his chest," Lincoln said. "He then said 'Okay, okay, maybe not heaven, but is this not hell either?' I just stared at him with disapproving fury."
"Both his parents were dispersed, weren't they?" Twain tried hard to remember. "His brother isn't. Is that right? Would he even know you were upset with him from looking at you? What did he do next?"
"His hand trembles as he dropped it to his stomach," Lincoln said. "And, he thinks this is bad."
"I should say, when someone finds life is forever, but some don't make it because of their dedication to doing harm in their years here," Twain speculated, "What a stupid waste of time."
"He is a very stupid man," Lincoln agreed, "Although, he believes he has made someone very happy."
"Who??" Twain asked perplexed. "His wives didn't even want to sleep with him. Didn't he bury one on his golf course? Can't imagine how that made her happy. I reckon she would have been the first if all that were true."
"He then moves his hand down to his knees, and I just stare at him," Lincoln shivered. "He then tries to reach for his feet..."
"But, he can't!" Twain laughed, "Am I right?? Hitler's superior Aryan specimen."
"I just crossed my arms and left," Lincoln buzzed his lips in an enormous exhale.
"You know, maybe I should ask Nikola, whether he wants to help..." Twain wondered.
"Your friend with the German accent?" Lincoln asked, "I can never understand anything he is saying..."
Meanwhile, back at the whitehouse at midnight:
The bluish apparition, with a face shaped like a skull, floated in the dark above the bed. Its business suit slowly fluttered in the air as if there were a wind.
A large white lightbulb brightly shone - clutched in one of its hands, while sparks and arcs emanated from its head - as its hair stood on end in a corona. Electric crackling and lightning shadows filled the room.
It waved a metalic wand in its other hand about, as if trying to conduct what it was saying. Its moans echoed in the room, "You vere a capacitor of consequence - but zee IONS is false ALL ABOUT YOU...”
Trump cowered underneath the sheets, drawn up to his mouth. He sat straight up in bed and cringed. "WTF ARE YOU?!" Trump shrieked.
Trump peered to each side of the bed, "AM I TO BE GOING WITH YOU?!" Trump then looked to the floor, "DOWN to THERE!?"
Trump looked up at the spirit and gasped, "ITS NOT FIRE ANYMORE?? YOU GUYS NOW GOT ELECTRICITY?!"
JOIN THE DEMOCRACY TRAIN.
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Joe Black - A Formidable Marinade (Live at Salvation Studios)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E_NlzHN8tc4
Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers' Dance
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qxTpvA-pUG0
Joe Black - The Wizards Tango (A Dungeons & Dragons Wizard Diss Track)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwSeYA7Iu0E
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Keep protests peaceful.
Don't kill or hurt anyone.
Protests DO make a difference.
Here are some resistance related guides from around the world:
🇺🇸 Fundamentals of physical surveillance: a guide for uniformed and plainclothes personnel
https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofph0000silj
The RCMP has its own publications including:
🇨🇦 GCPSG-022 (2025) - Threat and Risk Assessment Guide
GCPSG-010 (2022) - Operational Physical Security Guide
🇨🇦 GCPSG-019 (2023) - Protection, Detection, Response, and Recovery Guide
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/physec-secmat/pubs/index-eng.htm
The non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation also has excellent guides on:
🇺🇸 Street Level Surveillance
https://sls.eff.org
🇺🇸 Surveillance Self-Defense
https://ssd.eff.org/
🇪🇺 🇸🇪⚠️ Resistance Operating Concept
https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/25
🇺🇦 🇺🇲 Radio Free Ukraine Resistance Manual
https://radiofreeukraine.com/3d-flip-book/resistance-manual/
⚠️ Assessing Revolutionary And Insurgent Strategies (ARIS) Studies (now at archive.org)
https://web.archive.org/web/20250310000340/https://www.soc.mil/ARIS/books/arisbooks.html
⚠️ Civilian-Based Defense: A Post-Military Weapons System
https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/resource/civilian-based-defense-a-post-military-weapons-system/
🏁 Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States Office of Strategic Services
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26184?ref=404media.co
⚠️ Library of Congress
Revelations from the Russian archives: documents in English translation
https://www.loc.gov/item/96024752
🏁 Robert Reich/Resistance School
Communicating Across Difference
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaT8gjnOmQl3dguy0_E0vVCL5ZYEyCTzu
🏁 Bernie Sanders:
https://m.youtube.com/@BernieSanders
🏁 CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists:
Safety Kit
https://cpj.org/safety-kit/
🏁 Activist Handbook:
https://activisthandbook.org/introduction
(⚠️ These are USA sponsored websites. Some publications may have been removed by the Trump regime)