Protests under the banner “No Kings” will return to Salt Lake City this weekend, as organizers expect large crowds to join simultaneous events across Utah and the nation. In total, more than 2,500 No Kings rallies are scheduled for October 18.
In Utah, Salt Lake Indivisible, in partnership with Green Wave, Our Revolution, and national DemCast, is leading the demonstration at the state Capitol. Organizers emphasized they will operate independently from 50501, the group behind the June protest in which bystander Arthur Folasa “Afa” Ah Loo was tragically shot. They stressed that no safety volunteers at the upcoming rally will be armed and that they are coordinating with law enforcement to ensure public safety.
“We’re expecting it to be the largest peaceful protest in history,” said Sarah Buck, leader of Salt Lake Indivisible. “No kings, no dictators, no cruelty, no corruption.”
In light of past incidents and rising national tension—including the recent assassination of a conservative activist on a Utah campus—organizers have committed to keeping the event static at the Capitol, with no planned march, to prioritize security.
State Senator Nate Blouin (D–Salt Lake City) applauded the movement’s timing, calling it a model for nonviolent protest amid political violence.
“We will show our force in sheer numbers, not by picking up weapons and pitting neighbors against one another,” Blouin said.
The No Kings coalition lists 250 partner organizations, including the ACLU, American Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood, and the League of Women Voters. The public has raised questions online about the protest’s funding and affiliation, with attention drawn to its connections to Indivisible and other political groups.
Utah’s Senator Mike Lee took to social media to highlight that Communist Party USA is among the No Kings partners. Blouin responded by asserting that Lee’s support for Trump is tantamount to endorsing communist methods.
As the state braces for the weekend event, organizers call on participants to come in unity and peace, asserting their central message: In America, no one is above the law.
