Earlier today, an estimated 14,000 people crowded the streets of Richmond for No Kings II to peacefully protest the authoritarianism of Donald Trump. Joined by millions of protestors nationally, concerned citizens marched from the Bell Tower at Capitol Square to VCU’s Monroe Park, raising a chorus of disapproval, focusing on democratic backsliding, masked ICE raids, and the influence of billionaire oligarchs.
Organized by 50501 Virginia, Richmond was one of more than 60 rallies across the Commonwealth today, including protests in Petersburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Martinsville, as part of coordinated demonstrations that took place in over 2,700 cities across the US, along with a handful of countries internationally—including Germany, Italy, France, and Sweden.
“The fact that they can shoot anybody at anytime and then point their gun at the priest, that’s what got me here,” said Beth, who only gave her first name, when asked why she attended today’s rally. She was referring to a priest who was shot in the head with a pepper ball on September 19 while praying for inmates outside an ICE facility in Chicago.
Dan Kurkowski, a retired paramedic from Hampton Roads who traveled to Richmond for the rally, said his biggest issue was “subverting the constitution.” A sentiment that was echoed by Glen Campton from Midlothian, who told RVA Mag, “We are losing Democracy and it’s scaring the heck out of us.”
While prior No Kings and 50501 Virginia protests were equally as peaceful, Governor Glenn Youngkin still mobilized Virginia’s National Guard ahead of the rally. A Youngkin spokesperson said they were in contact with both the organizers and law-enforcement, something the rally organizers dismissed in a statement yesterday.
VPM reported on Friday that the National Guard had a Quick Reaction Force and a Ready Reaction Force on stand-by in Richmond, which included a “Non-Lethal Weapons Platoon.” In August it was also reported that the Pentagon advanced planning to set up a 600 person National Guard “quick reaction force” that can be deployed to US cities to suppress protests and other forms of civil unrest.
With more than seven million people protesting nationally today, the sheer scale has provoked increasingly dangerous rhetoric from allies of the Trump administration. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson referred to the protests as a “hate rally,” while Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that “the Democrat Party’s main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals.” All of which is categorically false.
Richmond’s No Kings protest ended with a performance by Dead Billionaires at Monroe Park, along with tables of chess players testing each other’s strategic acumen. No terrorists were found, only Virginians supporting one another in their struggle to preserve democracy.
Some of our best photos from today’s No Kings protest can be found below.
RVA Mag’s Media Producer Sofia Feliciano- Wassil also contributed to this report.
For those who want to learn more about the struggle to preserve democracy: next Thursday at 6pm, RVA Mag hosts Battleground Democracy, part of our Salon de Résistance live interview series at Black Iris. Join two of Virginia’s leading political scientists Dr. Alex Keena and Dr. Dana El Kurd for a candid look at how authoritarianism takes hold, why democratic institutions falter, and what these global shifts mean for Virginia’s future and America’s role in the world.
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