The No Kings rallies weren’t mobs or movements of rage — but millions of Americans reclaiming patriotism from the people who tried to weaponize it. The chants, the flags, the laughter — all of it pointed to something larger than protest. History says when 3.5% of a nation rises peacefully, governments change course. For once, the numbers and the spirit seem ready to meet that mark.
What stood out most wasn’t just turnout but transformation. In cities and towns across the country, rallies turned into voter registration drives, and civic duty became contagious. There was humor everywhere — homemade costumes, absurd props, satire that cut sharper than anger ever could. Authoritarians rely on fear, but what filled those streets was the opposite: people proving that joy can be a form of defiance, that mocking power is the surest way to strip it of its spell.
