Thousands of Pittsburghers gathered in front of the City-County Building Downtown as part of the third “No Kings” rally held since President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.
Protestors last Saturday voiced opposition to all things Trump, from the war in Iran to the president’s frequent and blatant misogyny, in what organizing group Indivisible Pittsburgh said was its highest-attended rally.
Indivisible estimated anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people were in attendance.
Though anti-Trump sentiment is seemingly only growing — a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has his approval at roughly 36% — the many potential motivations behind his unpopularity have been difficult to unify. That’s where “No Kings” comes in.
Tracy Baton, director of Indivisible Pittsburgh, said she aims to make the umbrella of those gathered to oppose Trump as wide as possible.
“Indivisible organizes around getting people together to be able to talk to government,” Baton told The Globe. “And we create space for Pittsburghers to stand up and connect to each other.”
Mayor Corey O’Connor, who was in attendance and addressed the crowd toward the end of the rally, seconded Baton’s perspective.
“Obviously, we’re seeing these policies hurt cities all across the country,” O’Connor told The Globe. “So, you know, the more we’re vocal about it, hopefully changes are made.”
Speakers, ranging from advocates for gun control to testimonials of immigrants held — and allegedly tortured — in local ICE detention facilities, addressed the crowd for about two hours.
Some highlighted the recent passing of Daphy Michel, a Haitian immigrant who was found dead in a Pittsburgh bus shelter after being detained by ICE.
The most central theme, which rang true with most participants and speakers, was an urgent message to vote in the midterm elections this November. Some attendees were skeptical of that sentiment.
Antawn Winton, who wore two twin Palestinian flags on his neck, said he was skeptical of the rally’s “Vote blue no matter who” message.
“I hope people wisen up,” Winton said. “I think more people are getting woken [up] to what money in politics has done. So I just hope the normie voter can figure that out.”
Around five or six Palestinian flags could be seen speckling the crowd, a symbol that has been controversial at “No Kings,” with some activists saying they were asked to leave for holding them.
A first time protester and Point Park student, Devin Frank, said he isn’t aware of the rumors of Palestinian repression but is against any efforts to stifle speech.
“I absolutely think the topic of Palestine should remain in the public conversation,” Frank said. “I feel like any efforts to hide or ban the flying of Palestinian flags or any flags for that matter here at this protest is inherently unconstitutional against the First Amendment.”
Freya Jaager, a rally-goer who held a large Palestinian flag, said she was there to raise awareness for the Prairieland shooting verdict in which nine activists were sentenced on terrorism charges after an officer was shot during a protest outside of an ICE detention center in Prairieland, Texas.
“I usually choose a more radical [protest], but it’s really important, I think, that we all have one message and one voice today,” Jaager said.
Caitlin Cataldo, a Socialist Alternative member, said the No Kings rallies are a good start but require additional action in order to be effective.
“We have had three No Kings and things have only gotten worse and it’s because the lessons are in what happened in Minneapolis,” Cataldo said. “The general strike did have a huge effect.”
Socialist Alternative were tabling at the rally hoping to recruit new members and drawing attention to May Day, the upcoming general strike happening May 1.
Cataldo made it clear that the work is not done when the crowd disperses.
“I think the most productive thing is to educate yourself on the national general strike and then talk about this with your co-workers,” Cataldo said.
General strikes blossomed across the country after over 100,000 people marched in Minneapolis, not making purchases of any kind or attending work or school, in protest of ICE’s on-ground operations in the city that led to the death of two US citizens.
A key point of contention with the Trump administration among protestors was opposition to the recent U.S. strikes on Iran.
Veteran and speaker for Common Defense, a veteran-led organization in support of democracy, Rayven Greer said she is protesting in opposition to the Iran war.
“As a veteran, I see a double betrayal happening.,” Greer said. “This administration is forcing our military members into unprovoked wars abroad, while simultaneously cutting back the very care at home that veterans like me and the next generation of heroes depend on.”
1Hood Media, a local arts, education and social justice organization, had a prominent presence. Its co-founder Jasiri X aimed to unify rally-goers around white supremacy as the root of many issues spurred by the Trump administration.
X said “No Kings” is a “good first step,” and encouraged attendees to “find a black and brown-led organization to support.”
“Because who is better equipped to fight white supremacy than the people that have been suffering under it their whole damn lives?” X said.
Concluding his speech, X said, “We win being one people, one voice, and one hood.”
