Tens of thousands of people in the United States are protesting against President Donald Trump and his administration. Demonstrations called No Kings are taking place in more than two thousand locations across the United States, mainly in major American cities such as New York and Washington. They are also planned in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. Rallies against Trump and his policies are also taking place in London and Berlin.

This is the third mass mobilization against Trump since he returned to the White House in January of this year. The demonstrations are taking place against the backdrop of the US government's insolvency, the so-called shutdown. It has not only halted federal programs and services, but also tested the very balance of power in the US. An aggressive executive branch is clashing with Congress and the courts in ways that organizers say represent a shift toward authoritarianism in the US, the AP reported.

Organizers expect up to 2.5 million people to attend in multiple locations across the country, NBC reported. More than 2,600 rallies are planned for Saturday in American cities large and small, organized by hundreds of partner organizations.

Leading Democrats are also getting involved

While earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say a more unified movement is emerging in opposition to Trump this time. Leading Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, are also joining the protests, who see the protests as a counterweight to Trump’s actions that they say are curtailing free speech.

Republican leaders, on the other hand, are trying to portray Saturday's protesters as extremists, communists, anti-Americans, and the main culprits behind the government shutdown, now in its 18th day. They claim that Democrats, led by Schumer, are denying the government access to funds to satisfy the demands of the party's left wing.

“The greatest threat to an authoritarian regime is the patriotic power of the people,” said Ezra Levin, an activist and co-founder of the Indivisible movement, one of the main organizers of the protests.