Thousands gathered across state for Connecticut 'No Kings' protests against Trump
Protesters took to the streets across Connecticut and the United States in a day of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump and what organizers describe as authoritarian actions.
More than 30 towns and cities in the state joined the "No Kings" protests against Trump's executive actions since returning to office in January, according to the national website for the protests. Protesters gathered as military tanks paraded through the streets of Washington D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army on the same day as Trump's birthday.
The rallies come after a tense week headlined by immigration arrests that were followed by demonstrations and National Guard deployment.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz among elected officials at Manchester rally
A few miles from Hartford, leaders in Manchester joined hundreds of residents for a similar demonstration in Center Memorial Park later in the afternoon Saturday. Local organizers said more than 400 people had registered their interest to attend.
Signs with messages like “real Americans fight fascism” and “ICE = chaos” were flanked by American and LGBTQ+ pride flags as Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Rep. John Larson, and local elected officials delivered speeches about topics like reproductive rights and food assistance programs.
A small counter-protest of two walked through the park early on in the rally, chanting “Don’t feed the trolls.” Others countered with “Go home” and “Take a hike,” though the two remained at the sidelines.
Trip Barnett, one of many demonstrators in the crowd, said Saturday that he has previously attended a “Hands Off” protest in April and was heartened to see the level of engagement across Connecticut and the state.
“We just hope we can accomplish something," Barnett said, describing Trump as “such a horrible man.”
Mike Pohl, chairman of the local Democratic Town Committee, said Saturday that his husband worked the Maloney High School graduation in Meriden, days after a 12th-grade student scheduled to attend the ceremony was detained by ICE.
“He did all the work to graduate," Pohl said. "He can’t get that back."
The “No Kings” protests held across Connecticut and the country were organized by the 50501 Movement, a group formed earlier this year to support democracy and oppose what it describes as the “authoritarian actions of the Trump administration.” The name stands for 50 States, 50 Protests, 1 Movement.
The grassroots group is calling on the federal government to uphold the U.S. Constitution and end executive overreach, and have promised that organizers will continue to hold massive protests nationwide until the calls are satisfied.
“Our movement shows the world that the American working class will not sit idly by as plutocrats rip apart their democratic institutions and civil liberties while undermining the rule of law,” the group wrote on its website.
Saturday's demonstrations were held to coincide with a parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The parade has faced backlash due to a multimillion-dollar cost and critics have compared the event to displays common in authoritarian countries.
A high energy crowd estimated at more than 400 people lined both sides of the Ash Creek Bridge between Bridgeport and Fairfield, starting at noon, serenaded by honks from dozens of Hondas and Subarus, along with a few Range Rover’s, BMWs and even a Tesla.
The crowd lined Fairfield Avenue as far as Grasmere Avenue on the Fairfield side and up to the Mr. Crab restaurant on the Bridgeport side.
Organizer Maxine Greenberg of Bridgeport said she had expected crowds but nothing like what turned up on Saturday. A prior anti-Trump protest had turned out 30 people at the same spot earlier this year, she said.
“People are fed up, and there's nothing else we can do except show up this way,” Greenberg said. “I'm hoping maybe this will be the beginning.”
John Hennessey, a veteran Marine who served in Vietnam, said he attended Saturday’s protest to protest cutbacks at the VA which are impacting research.
“I just think it's an abomination what's going on in this country,” Hennessey said. His nephew, who asked to remain anonymous, wore a shirt with Ukrainian embroidery and held up a sign in Ukrainian.
“I just don't like oligarchs and kings and dictators,” said the Bridgeport resident. “I think it's all of our responsibility, if you believe in democracy, to come and stand up for what you believe in.”
Along with “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden flags and an all-black “flag of distress” version of the Stars and Stripes, signs at the Bridgeport/Fairfield protest displayed slogans including “The Only Kings Are Drag Kings” and “Proudly Without Kings since 1776.”
New Haven police estimate about 3,000 demonstrators took part in Saturday's march and demonstration. Police said in a post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that no arrests have been made, all road have been reopened and that crowds are dissipating.
Between 150 and 200 demonstrators rallied on the City Green in Waterbury. Liz Brown, one of the organizers, said 100 people had signed up online to attend the rally. Many protesters were carrying American flags, including Dennis Cass of Seymour.
“We have gone way off track,” Cass said.
He said he is troubled by what he sees as a Trump-led attack on due process rights, including for immigrants without legal status.
“I support the police department. I support our military. I’m from a big military family. But this is an abomination of all our rights,” Cass said. “It has got to stop. This man has taken it too far. You have to have due process.”
He said he decided to carry a full-sized American flag at the rally to underscore the message that he wanted to convey Saturday.
“This is about our country,” Cass said. “It is about what my father fought for in the South Pacific. My nieces and nephews have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have cousins and uncles who served in Korea. They did this so I could stand here and talk to you.”
“My father would be 101 years old today if he was alive, and he would be disgusted with what’s going on, and my father was a conservative man,” he continued. “This is not about conservative or liberal. This is about justice and due process.”
Arlene Wallace was demonstrating alongside Cass on the sidewalk on the side of the Green facing the Rowland Government Center across West Main Street.
“I am here to save democracy, especially as a Black person,” said Wallace, a resident of the Oakville section of Watertown.
Wallace said she is fearful that the hard-won and cherished civil rights of Americans are being lost and the progress that has been made through struggle, strife and sacrifice is being jeopardized under Trump.
“People just don’t have rights anymore, and we are all sooner or later going to be in boat. We’re slowly losing the right to everything that people have given their lives for,” she said.
A lone Trump supporter, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a red, white and blue skull and the slogan “REBELLION TO TYRANTS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD,” disrupted the rally when state Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, was addressing the rally-goers assembled on West Main Street.
“These are uncertain times, but one thing we are certain of is we are not giving up, we’re not backing down, we’re all pushing back and moving forward,” said Reyes, a former chairman of the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.
At that point, the single Trump counter protester started chanting through a megaphone, “Donald Trump is your president!” He would keep up that taunting cry throughout the rest of the rally. He repeatedly called the demonstrators cowards and relentlessly taunted them and chided them for not demonstrating against crime, gun violence and overdose deaths in the city.
There was a stream of confrontations between the man, who declined to identify himself, and a series of "No King" demonstrators. Angry words were exchanged and some rally-goers brushed up against him, causing other attendees to step between to stop the face-offs from getting more physical. The man only identified himself as a city resident and said he was standing up for his beliefs. He dismissed the rally as a waste of time and effort.
“Do you really thing this is going to do anything? No. Do you think this changes any of Donald Trump’s positions? No. Do you think this is going to change this blue state? No,” the Trump supporter said.
Trump lost Waterbury in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. Out of the state’s five largest cities, Trump polled strongest in Waterbury in 2024, losing the city by 3,602 votes. His 14,723-vote total here was his second highest in Connecticut behind his 20,370-vote total in Stamford.
A standing-room-only crowd of 4,000 packed the Crosby High School gymnasium for a Trump campaign rally in 2016 and another 1,000 people watched a live feed from outside.
In a New Haven rally, speakers sharply criticized political leadership, connecting different struggles. Kirill Staklo, a speaker, said political leaders look to “sell out” immigrants and transgender people.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he chanted to hundreds from the New Haven Green’s fountain.
As a statement in support of Palestine was read from Shelly Altman of Jewish Voice for Peace, some attendees became restless. “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go” a number of attendees chanted from the perimeter. “This is about Donald Trump!” one woman yelled.
A number of people present challenged speakers on their solidarity for Palestine. One man, working his way to front, shouted about Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Taking the megaphone back, Staklo told the crowd that to criticize Trump is to stand in solidarity with all groups.
“We do not cherry-pick,” he said.
“We are one people and this is one fight,” said speaker Julio Nuñez Garcia.
The parade celebrating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army is set to begin at 6:30 p.m., but a buildup of festivities began today at 9:30 a.m., according to the Associated Press. Fencing and barriers are in place, and more than 6,000 troops are ready to march rain or shine, according to the AP.
The parade is projected to cost between $25 million and $45 million, and the Army expects up to 200,000 people to attend.
The AP reported the day was set to begin with an Army fitness competition from 9:30 a.m. to noon. "Meet-and-greets" with soldiers, astronauts and Medal of Honor recipients and other demonstrations were scheduled for 11 a.m.
A "skills & drills" event with NFL players was also tabbed for 11 a.m., and a live stream workout from the International Space Station was set to start at 1 p.m.
A ceremony and cake cutting will take place at 4:15 p.m. before the parade. When it ends, an enlistment ceremony and concert on the Ellipse and fireworks display will follow Saturday night.
The spirit on display in Connecticut was part of a much wider show of force as the "No Kings" protests got underway across the country Saturday.
Atlanta's rally blew beyond its 5,000-person limit as thousands more clustered outside barriers in front of the state Capitol, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported some counter-protesters were on scene.
Crowds were meanwhile forming in cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Tallahassee. Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri have activated National Guard troops to oversee the demonstrations.
The scene at Connecticut's largest "No Kings" protest has continued to fill with demonstrators.
An event organizer estimated nearly 7,000 people were present at about 12:30 p.m. Capitol police officers estimated between 5,000 and 7,000 people were on site.
Earlier in the day, at about 11:30 a.m., police estimated about 5,000 people in attendance.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal spoke at the Hartford rally and said he had a message for Trump.
“This is what America looks like. Right here in Connecticut, this is what democracy looks like,” he said.
“Thanks for the invitation to your parade, I’d rather be here,” he added. “President Trump, this is the way to celebrate democracy, this is the way to celebrate veterans.”
The crowd of thousands cheered and yelled. Blumenthal told the attendees to continue fighting back to preserve democracy.
“No one is safe from King Trump, we have to fight back,” he said. “Thank you, Connecticut… I’ve never been prouder.”
Thousands marched to the front of the Capitol at about 12:30 p.m., crowding the sidewalks on Capitol Avenue and in front of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Cars slowed down and honked as they drove past.
Protesters at Westport's Parker Harding Plaza came with fears about the state of U.S. democracy under Trump's administration. They said protesting his presidency — rather than embracing it — is a sign of patriotism.
One sign read "My family did not fight in (World War II) for us to end up with this!" A dog in the crowd had a multicolored sign around its back stating "Doodles for Democracy."
Westport resident Nancy McMillan had a sign saying Trump is "using Hitler's playbook." The sign showed a portrait pairing the left side of Trump's face with the right side of Hitler's.
"We got to get rid of Trump," McMillan said. "We are already in a dictatorship.”
Democratic Wilton Selectman Ross Tartell was also part of the crowd. He held a for-sale sign implying "habeas corpus" is on the market. He sported a white hat stamped with the American flag and the name of his town.
"I'm here to preserve democracy in America, the right for free speech, the right for habeas corpus, the right for justice for all," he said. "That's why I'm here. It's important for our future, for our children and for the world."
As protesters marched along the sidewalk chanting and condemning Trump in Waterbury, a lone Trump supporter jumped into the fray. He used a megaphone to try disrupting the rally, calling demonstrators "cowards" and chanting "Donald Trump is your president."
Connecticut State Capitol Police estimated about 5,000 people had congregated at the State Capitol as of 11:30 a.m. in Hartford, chanting "No kings" with a sea of signs and American flags. The crowd was only growing as of 11 a.m., despite the drizzle. The Hartford protest is expected to be the state's largest.
As they held signs like “Rejecting kings since 1776,” “We the people” and “Justice for all,” rally attendees said they came out to fight for democracy and stand in solidarity against the recent ICE raids.
“Look around, this is what democracy looks like,” Jim Chapdelaine, the founder of Indivisible CT, said from the steps of the Capitol. “In every corner in every state, there’s a peaceful rally happening just like this one.”
The crowd of thousands cheered, waving their flags and raising their signs.
Rain was projected to fall as protests got underway Saturday morning under cloudy skies. The conditions were set to keep temperatures unseasonably cool by about 15 degrees below normal with highs in the 60s.
But despite a drizzle, numbers started to grow at the scene of some of Connecticut's protests scheduled for the morning. A few scattered showers could also dampen the afternoon before conditions dry out overnight.
A protest in Westport had drawn over 1,000 people to the Parker Harding Plaza after 11 a.m. Crowds lined the plaza, cheering as some passing traffic honked in support. Protesters chanted “Hey hey! Ho ho! Donald Trump has got to go!”
Westport resident Jane Eyes gripped a sign reading "Defending democracy is not a spectator sport."
“People have to get involved," Eyes said at the demonstration. "If you’re not horrified, you're not paying attention. People have to see what’s going on and get past the sound bites."
A smaller crowd was nearing 75 people on the Waterbury Green before 11 a.m. Luz Brown, an organizer in the city, said 100 people had registered online to attend. The group had grown closer to 150 before 11:15 a.m.
Police had a presence as the crowds began to gather, though it wasn't a large one.
"The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump," the "No Kings" website reads. "It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it. On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings."
Rallies are scheduled in Connecticut as early as 9:30 a.m. in Canton and Glastonbury and could last elsewhere until 6 p.m., according to the national "No Kings" website.
The events stretch around the state and will draw elected officials and community leaders including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Rep. John Larson, D-1 and Bishop John Selders in Hartford. They include Connecticut's largest cities — Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Hartford and Waterbury — and smaller towns like Warren, Durham and Salisbury. In Westport, Police Chief David Farrell said organizers expect over 1,000 people to attend.
"From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like," the website reads.
The website states organizers will ensure the protests are peaceful and credits their training in de-escalation.
Connecticut organizers last joined a national day of protest in April for the "Hands Off!" movement against federal spending cuts by Trump and his former adviser Elon Musk. Two dozen protests cropped up around the state in connection.
There were no reported arrests stemming from the April protests, which drew thousands from across the state.