Carrying signs that were at times deadly serious (“Evil Wins When Good People Do Nothing,” “Stop Kidnapping People”) and other times mocking (“Cleanup on Aisle 47,” “Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus”), an estimated 200,000 protesters filled Pennsylvania Avenue and surrounding DC streets on Saturday, October 18, for the second No Kings day of action this year.
While speakers such as senators Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders warned of the current state of affairs, and some participants broke into spontaneous chants about democracy (“the people united will never be divided”), the rally at times had a light-hearted, almost party-like vibe thanks to all the people sporting costumes—including “founding fathers” in powdered wigs and colonial garb, a massive Statue of Liberty head, and colorful inflatable get-ups such as unicorns, sharks, T-Rexes, frogs, a giraffe, and a Cookie Monster.
The DC protest was the largest in the Washington area, but there also gatherings throughout the DMV, including Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Silver Spring. According to organizers, more than 7 million people participated in more than 2,700 events in all 50 states.
These are scenes from Saturday’s downtown DC protest.
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.
