Posted October 16, 2025
Protestors took to the streets of downtown Madison, WI, on June 14th, to oppose the current president of the United States, Donald Trump. The protest was part of the nationwide ‘No Kings’ movement, which came as a scheduled counter-attack to a military parade in Washington that aligned with Trump’s birthday.
Downtown Madison, WI, saw a heavy gathering, with rough estimates of 15,000 protestors. The march began off the UW-Madison campus, then ran just over a mile east to the state capitol. Temperatures reached the high 80s once late afternoon set in, adding even more unrest to the crowd.
A circus theme was heavily implemented for the rally. Some held signs labeling Trump and his allies as clowns. Some even wore red squeaky noses to express their distaste. Many chose to mock the president with gestures and impersonations, while others laughed in
agreement.
One protestor, Ms. Perez, said, “This is the resistance 2.0. We are here to fight for democracy again.” Many voiced their distaste for the style of governance Trump has displayed in his second term, while others claimed abuse of power on the president’s part.
Though mostly peaceful, the protest definitely held an undertone of unrest and anger. According to a WKOW article published following the protest, only three arrests were confirmed in Madison. All arrests were connected to acts of vandalism. WKOW also reported that a business along State Street was vandalized; however, no arrests as of June 15 have been made.
This was a contrast to other cities, such as Philadelphia, which saw much more police interference.
One speaker at the event was best-selling author John Nichols. His cries for a united democracy gathered much approval. Sources also confirmed that Nichols placed a call to Senator Bernie Sanders and allowed him to speak to the crowd. The protestors were united in their opposition to the current president, but many decided to focus on specific issues. Signs such as ‘De-fund ICE, looked to fight the current system of immigrant reform in the U.S. Others cited fascism and dictatorial styles of government as being a
problem, particularly for minorities.
Protestor Anthony Guevara said, “I’m here for the people who look like me. I’m here for the people who can’t make it today.”
The military parade in Washington added fuel to the protestors, many of whom want to focus government spending on technological and ecological advancements. According to a WPR article, the parade could cost nearly fifty million dollars once damages to the roadways have been repaired. One anonymous source commented, “It’s just bad spending, and we’re tired of it.”
As a part of a nationwide protest, Wisconsin saw another huge turnout just east of Madison. Milwaukee saw estimates of up to 12,000 protestors, according to the Wisconsin Examiner.
In total, the U.S. saw over 5 million people participate. The Guardian published an article following the busy weekend, naming ‘No Kings’ as perhaps the biggest protest gathering in American history.
The article may be found online at https://uwrfjournalism.org/2025/10/thousands-gather-for-no-kings-protest-in-madison/.