The #NoKings protests that swept across the United States this weekend brought together traditional Democratic advocacy organizations alongside openly socialist and communist groups, with speakers at multiple rallies calling for a nationwide economic strike on May 1.
The demonstrations, held in cities including New York City's Times Square and St. Paul, Minnesota, were organized by a coalition of approximately 500 organizations with an estimated combined annual revenue of about $3 billion, according to Fox News Digital reporting. The protests were marketed by organizers as a grassroots movement, though internal documents and the coalition's membership suggest otherwise.
At the St. Paul rally, Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the protest's key organizers, joined the call for a national strike on May Day. 'On May 1, on May Day, we are saying, No business as usual. No work, no school, no shopping,' Levin told the crowd. 'We're going to show up and say we're putting workers over billionaires and kings.'
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative critics have pointed to the involvement of openly communist and socialist organizations in what began as anti-Trump protests. Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators have questioned whether the movement's leadership truly represents mainstream Democratic voters or is being driven by radical fringe elements.
At the Times Square rally, members of the Revolutionary Communists of America chanted 'There is only one solution — communist revolution' while waving red flags bearing the hammer and sickle. The presence of groups including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and local chapters of the Communist Party USA at coalition events has drawn scrutiny from political opponents.
Conservative critics argue that mainstream Democratic organizations like Indivisible are aligning with extremist groups whose ideology is fundamentally antithetical to American values. Some have called for Democratic leaders to distance themselves from the socialist and communist elements within the protest coalition.
What the Left Is Saying
Supporters of the #NoKings movement frame the May 1 strike as a continuation of labor activism and economic justice advocacy. Organizers pointed to a partial shutdown that saw limited success in Minneapolis during protests on Jan. 23 against Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a model for the May Day action.
Indivisible, which has participated in May Day coalitions before, describes itself as a grassroots movement working to elect progressive candidates and oppose authoritarianism. The group received $5 million in recent years from billionaire George Soros' Open Society philanthropy arm, according to the source article.
Progressive activists argue that economic pressure through strikes has historically been an effective tool for labor rights and social change. The May 1 date marks International Workers' Day, a holiday with origins in the labor movement and later embraced by socialist and communist movements worldwide.
What the Numbers Show
The #NoKings coalition included approximately 500 organizations with a combined annual revenue of about $3 billion. Member organizations ranged from traditional Democratic advocacy groups to openly socialist and communist formations.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation distributed copies of 'Socialist Reconstruction: A Better Future for the United States,' a manifesto outlining Marxist principles. The Socialist Workers Party, which fielded a U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Dwire who sold copies of the Communist Manifesto at the St. Paul rally, describes itself as 'part of the continuity of revolutionary Marxism.'
Indivisible Project received $5 million in recent years from George Soros' Open Society Foundations, according to the source article. The organization has previously partnered with May Day coalitions and describes its mission as building power for the progressive movement.
The flags of Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization were visible at the St. Paul rally, representing both foreign governments and domestic socialist organizations.
The Bottom Line
The #NoKings protests represent an unusual coalition that spans from mainstream progressive organizations to openly communist groups, all united in opposition to Trump administration policies. The call for a May 1 economic strike marks an escalation from protest demonstrations to organized economic disruption.
The alliance between traditional Democratic groups and socialist or communist organizations highlights the broad but ideologically diverse nature of anti-Trump activism. Conservative critics argue this coalition mainstreamizes extremist ideologies, while progressive supporters say the movement represents working-class solidarity across ideological lines.
The May 1 strike will serve as a test of whether the coalition can translate protest energy into sustained economic pressure. Organizers are urging supporters to skip work, school, and shopping on that date, though the degree of participation remains uncertain. What is clear is that the ideological spectrum represented at #NoKings events extends well beyond traditional Democratic Party politics.