Organized by the liberal groups Indivisible, 50501 and MoveOn, an estimated 7 million to 8 million people demonstrated on the streets of over 2,500 U.S. cities on Oct. 18 in No Kings Day protests.

For the most part, the leaders of these groups’ political demands were focused against President Donald Trump, but raised few issues beyond “re-establishing democratic rights” or putting Democrats back in office in Congress and the state houses in the 2026 midterm elections.

In many cities, speakers were limited to official Democratic Party spokespeople, and unlike the No Kings event in June of 2025, few if any Palestinian politicians were invited to speak. There were even calls for marchers to wear or carry yellow items to show affinity with reactionary protesters in Hong Kong and the NATO-backed right-wing government in Ukraine, while no mention was made of stopping U.S. imperialism’s war threats in Africa or South America. However, these calls found few supporters among the participants.

From the Hands-Off demonstrations in April to No Kings in June to these recent marches, worsening political repression and declining economic conditions are bringing more and more people into the streets. Beyond these one-day events, the on-going opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and federal troops in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Portland, Oregon; Los Angeles and elsewhere demonstrates that a resistance movement that goes beyond Democratic Party politics is indeed possible.

While not encouraged by those who called the actions, there were many pro-Palestine contingents on Oct. 18 in the No Kings marches, speaking out against Israeli-U.S. genocide in Gaza. In several cities, demonstrators held signs and chanted for “U.S. Hands off Venezuela!” and “ICE: U.S. Troops Out of our Cities!” In Dallas, for example, there was an openness among youth for a more radical, revolutionary solution.

After the official Seattle rally, a militant Free Palestine contingent — including Seattle Against War, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Students for a Democratic Society and Workers World Party — urged continued solidarity for the Palestinian revolution.

In New York City, unions fighting against the growing threat of layoffs and attacks against government workers joined together in a contingent.

In the brief period since Oct. 18, the Trump administration has continued to threaten deep cuts, if not the complete elimination of social programs for low-income workers. This includes cutting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for 42 million people if the federal budget standoff doesn’t end by Nov. 1. Even now, thousands of federal workers are being forced to work without pay — essentially enslaved labor – and many are turning to food banks to get essential items for their families.

Yes, it was impressive that millions of people protested a president less than a year into his administration. Yes, this was arguably the largest one-day protest demonstration in U.S. history. Yet the challenge for the working-class and anti-imperialist left is to get to these newly mobilized masses and offer them a way to go far beyond the Democratic Party.

To defeat Trump’s aggressive moves toward a police state, we need to do more than march. Following the lead of workers in Italy and Spain in solidarity with Palestine, a one- or two-day general strike would have a much broader impact.

To push back against Trump’s fascist agenda, it will take a mass movement — one that is independent from both capitalist parties — and one with a clear, anti-imperialist orientation. As the demonstrations against ICE and troops in our cities are showing, the opportunity is waiting for a strong, united left movement to provide a more effective leadership than the establishment groups that support the Democratic Party, which is itself a pro-imperialist party.