Millions of people took to the streets of various US cities for the “No Kings” protests, expressing their frustration with US President Donald Trump, his immigration policy, and the war in Iran. The protesters were met with a heavy-handed response from police. In the aftermath, what some call the 'damage assessment,' highlights that in several US cities, police used tear gas, declared unlawful assemblies, and detained government opponents. In this way, what was meant to be a show of civic strength ended with a forceful response that has already ignited the debate on the repression of dissent. The official, verifiable figures that emerged most clearly this Sunday point to at least 83 confirmed arrests in two cities. The most emblematic “No Kings” protests In Los Angeles, police reported 74 arrests for failing to disperse at the end of the protest; additionally, one person was arrested on suspicion of carrying a weapon described as a dagger. Among those detained were eight minors. There, the protest ended near a federal detention center, where authorities deployed tear gas after the dispersal order. According to reports, the Department of Homeland Security said some protesters threw stones, bottles, and concrete fragments at agents, and that two officers were injured after being hit by concrete blocks. It was essentially an open clash between protesters and security forces in a city that was already highly tense due to immigration operations. Just two weeks prior, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass led a hearing with more than 20 other mayors to denounce ICE abuses and the “human cost” of deportations. At that event, Bass stated that in Los Angeles there were people—including US citizens—who had been “detained without cause, assaulted, and stripped of their freedom,” while local leaders denounced raids that, they claim, threaten basic rights and break families. But the very Los Angeles that presented itself as a political wall against ICE also hardened its security rhetoric. On March 10, Bass announced the strategic deployment of the LAPD in the city center and warned, “LAPD will be Downtown in force to arrest you” for anyone who intended to cause trouble. That tone, combined with the massive Saturday protest, helps explain why the night ended with gas, arrests, and control and force, even in a city governed by leaders who have spoken out against federal abuses. In Denver, police declared an “unlawful assembly” and deployed smoke canisters after a group blocked a roadway and refused to leave; local media reported nine arrests there. In this case, the local government's own page defines “Assemblies/1st Amendment Activities” as meetings for “demonstration, speech, protest, rally, march, or vigil” related to the expression of ideas, dissent, and grievances. Even so, the day concluded with a declaration of an unlawful assembly, smoke, and arrests, despite the fact that on paper, protest is recognized as activity protected by the First Amendment. This meant that on the street, part of that protest ended under police control and with detentions. The scale of the mobilization The size of Saturday's mobilization in some cases exceeded expectations; organizers registered over 3,100 events in all 50 states and estimated that at least eight million people participated on Saturday; additionally, there were demonstrations in more than a dozen countries. The vast majority of the day was peaceful and massive; however, the arrests and scenes of police dispersing protesters with gas and smoke in two of the country's most prominent cities captured the headlines. Thus, while the movement took to the streets to denounce a government it accuses of authoritarianism, war, and migrant persecution, the security response in key cities was precisely that dissent is answered with a heavy hand, dispersal orders, and arrests. And although authorities maintain they acted after road blockades and the throwing of objects, the outcome of the protest puts the issue of repression of government opponents on the table.
