Gov. Greg Abbott has again ordered state troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers to Austin ahead of the protest, calling the planned demonstrations "Antifa-linked" despite their sponsorship by groups like the ACLU, League of Women Voters and Sierra Club.

Crowds gathered Saturday in cities across the United States — and overseas — for No Kings rallies in protest of President Donald Trump’s administration and to call for the defense of First Amendment rights.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets nationwide as part of the nationwide "No Kings" movement and protests are also happening right here in Central Texas.

In all, more than 2,500 demonstrations took place nationwide in the largest mobilization of protests since President Trump returned to office.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets nationwide as part of the nationwide "No Kings" movement and protests are also happening right here in Central Texas.

Thousands of people marched from the State Capitol to Auditorium Shores for the 'No Kings' protest in Austin on Oct. 18, 2025.

Oct. 19, 2025 Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at ‘No Kings’ rally in D.C. © 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

This summer, organizers said more than 5 million people participated in No Kings protests against President Trump. Organizers say they expect an even bigger turnout this time around.

As many as 100,000 were expected to demonstrate in Los Angeles on Saturday as the second round of "No Kings" protests took place across the nation.

The event is part of the second round of 'No Kings' protests. The first occurred in June, drawing several thousand people to the streets of San Antonio to criticize the Trump administration.

Trump spoke at a $1 million-per-plate MAGA fundraiser Oct. 17, 2025, at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. No Kings protests are Saturday, Oct 18, 2025, nationwide