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Protestors round the corner of East Wacker Drive heading to the end point of their march on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2025. Many protestors brought costume signs or came in costume to demonstrate their support.
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llinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton speaks at a No Kings Pre rally at Oz Park on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Dozens of smaller protest were held across the city in each neighborhood.
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Thousands leave Millennium Park to march down Wacker Drive and around the loop during the “no kings” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. The protest lasted 6hrs and stretched 2 miles long.
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A child and his mother colors signs for protestors at a No Kings Pre rally at Oz Park on Saturday, October 18th, 2025.Those in Oz Park met to send off those protesting downtown later that day.
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A participant of the No Kings Protest holds her ‘Hands of Chicago’ sign at Millennium Park on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Some protestors carried a M3 mask as a safety precaution during the demonstration.
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No Kings organizer shouts chants about community and democracy through a bullhorn at the front of the march on Saturday, Oct. 18 2025. Various speakers and organizers took turns holding the “Hands off Chicago” banner leading the march.
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Protestors gather at Millennium Park for the Nation wide “No kings” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Thousands gathered to hear activist and Illinois Politicians speak during the protest.
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No Kings spectator dressed in a suit, pig’s head mask, and orange ribbon holds a sign criticizing ICE detainment practices on Saturday, Oct. 18 2025. The attendee also holds a Valentine’s themed balloon with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s names written across the front.
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Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker leads the No Kings March after his speech at Millennium Park on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Pritzker has been one of the most outspoken anti-Trump politicians, which culminated in the president calling for his arrest in early October.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered downtown on Saturday for the second “No Kings” protest of the year, part of a coordinated movement across North America and Europe opposing the Trump administration and recent federal immigration enforcement actions, which organizers said drew millions globally.
Organizers estimated more than 200,000 people filled Millennium Park and surrounding streets, spilling beyond the park’s capacity. The rally featured speeches from community activists; and Illinois lawmakers, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who later led the march through downtown.
The protest came more than a month after federal agents launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” a deportation initiative that has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and immigrant rights advocates following recent waves of arrests within the city.
“Workers are being harassed and detained at our shops and restaurants,” Pritzker said in his remarks. “These are not abstractions; these are people who pay taxes, own businesses, teach our children, care for our elderly, and contribute to the fabric of our society. This is all of us.”
Crowds chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” and “The people united will never be divided,” as they marched through downtown streets. Protesters carried handmade signs reading “Hands off Chicago,” and “No human is illegal”. Swung at piñatas shaped like President Trump, and carried a large replica of the U.S. Constitution that stretched across part of Michigan Avenue.
Smaller rallies were held earlier in the day in neighborhoods across the city and nearby suburbs, with groups gathering to march or commute to the downtown protest, which led to hundreds of packed trains and clogging some CTA lines that led to the Loop.
“We’re gonna be ok because the children of Illinois are gonna take us on and carry this fight.” Said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, during a send-off in Lincoln Park. “You’re gonna raise your voice, we need to hear it and I’m so inspired by all of you.”
Chicago’s demonstration was one of hundreds held in major cities across North America and Europe on Saturday, marking a renewed wave of protest against the current administration’s immigration and labor policies revolving around ICE raids.
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