No Kings event set for 14 June, as Trump celebrates birthday with White House UFC bout
Source: The Guardian
Thu 28 May 2026 10.11 EDT
Last modified on Thu 28 May 2026 11.20 EDT
The No Kings movement has announced a nationwide event on 14 June, directly counter-programming Donald Trumps 80th birthday celebrations and a Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout on the south lawn of the White House.
The centerpiece is a 90-minute concert at New Yorks Town Hall featuring entertainer Bette Midler, songwriter Patti Smith, actor Jane Fonda, musician Rufus Wainwright and commentator Joy Reid streaming free nationwide, while local groups host watch parties across the country. The event is co-presented by the Committee for the First Amendment, a coalition of artists and cultural figures, and frames the USs 250th anniversary as a moment of democratic reckoning.
The plans put two very different visions for the occasion in direct competition. The US president is billing UFC Freedom 250 as a historic national celebration: a star-spangled octagon arena on the south lawn of the White House, with 4,000 ticketed guests, and a fan festival on the Ellipse expected to draw up to 100,000 people. The weigh-ins are reportedly set to take place at the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump has claimed that demand for tickets, for an event which will feature a title fight between the lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and the interim champion Justin Gaethje, has been unlike anything he has seen. The White House spokesperson Davis Ingle called it one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/28/no-kings-concert-patti-smith-bette-midler
underpants
(197,330 posts)Blues Heron
(9,062 posts)wnylib
(26,542 posts)while dealing with a depressing regime.
Also a good way to make connections at local levels to get out the vote for local, state, and federal candidates. Meet candidates, decide on whom to donate to, sign up for volunteer activities like phone banking and house to house canvassing. Make local plans for election day monitoring.
There is much more to No Kings rallies than holding up a sign. They promote solidarity, mutual support, sharing of issues and ideas for solutions as well as local activism.
Blues Heron
(9,062 posts)It was absolutely moral-destroying last year when they let the birthday parade go completely unopposed. This is the same. Uninspiring, moral deadening.
wnylib
(26,542 posts)and local activism. No need for a big rally in DC to which Trump would respond with violence. Would accomplish nothing compared to local, peaceful organizing to regain control of Congress.
I cannot share your negativity.
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)The No Kings and Hands Off intentionally planned it that way because the RW corporate media would have done areals of the crowds and attributed them to supporting 45.
The parade was SUPPOSED to honor the 250th anniversary of the Army which was NOT established in "Washington D.C.", which didn't exist back in 1776.
It was started HERE IN PHILADELPHIA and thankfully NONE of those RW loons set foot here, carefully side-stepping the place where our military was officially born.
Blues Heron
(9,062 posts)It really hurt the momentum
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)the biggest No Kings was this past March, the 3rd event, and there were over 8 million who attended worldwide.
if it "hurt" any "momentum", it was the GOP.
Blues Heron
(9,062 posts)You dont protest something by ignoring it, you face it head on, where it is. Somehow the indivisible people have an aversion to DC.
Even that 3/28 thing was feeble in DC - the photos of an empty mall spoke volumes. Just a few kite flyers. Pathetic.
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)the whole thing would essentially collapse and it didn't. Each event after (later in October 2025 and then this past March), it got bigger and bigger and really went global.
I have been to the D.C. metro area many many many times over a 30-some year period and I guarantee that there were events in the area OUTSIDE OF where that damn "parade" was happening.
Where I live in Philly, I am 10 miles from downtown where these types of protests happen, so I am sure there were things that went on that were within 10 miles of downtown D.C. that people in the area could have attended. As it was, it also "rained on that parade" that day too.
Attilatheblond
(9,313 posts)Rhetorical question, of course.
Meanwhile, No Kings events are always fun and don't cost taxpayers a cent.
Snackshack
(2,601 posts)Wednesdays
(23,214 posts)I'm adding this to my daily calendar postings.
AverageOldGuy
(4,224 posts)Here's a comment from my contact in DC:
SergeStorms
(20,876 posts)Trump's handlers will fill the event with paid "fans" and the Secret Service will be working 24/7 to vet every one of them before Agent Orange's "birthday celebration." Of course Trump doesn't care how much inconvenience and extra work anyone has to go through for his enjoyment.
Scrivener7
(60,115 posts)Grim Chieftain
(2,110 posts)But respectfully, we need to drop the "No Kings" moniker. It has been minimally effective. Our message needs to be much stronger and more targeted regarding what is actually happening to our country.
SergeStorms
(20,876 posts)and pedophiles" is sorta difficult to get on one sign, though. 😉
Grim Chieftain
(2,110 posts)Gets right to the point.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,771 posts)Grim Chieftain
(2,110 posts)Right to the point.
johnnyfins
(4,034 posts)one of the greatest and most historic sports events in history.
This ufc thing will be forgotten. It will only be talked about in the same breath as trumps corruption and his despotic regime.
mdbl
(8,796 posts)unless Pres Dump is one of the fighters.
SergeStorms
(20,876 posts)he always hires someone or cons some ignorant patsy into doing his dirty work. He's a total coward.
mdbl
(8,796 posts)SergeStorms
(20,876 posts)with such a barbaric display of male toxic stupidity makes my blood boil.
The United States of America has officially become the decline of the Roman Empire. "Bread and circuses."
All for the amusement of an egotistical criminal con-man whose only goals in life are accumulating wealth and demeaning women.
Fuck you, Donald J. Trump. 🖕 I hate you with the intensity of a billion suns.
KS Toronado
(23,915 posts)James48
(5,260 posts)You can read more about the event, a concert in NY, with watch parties held around the country,
And you can sign up here to host a party:
https://www.nokings.org/
And a listing of those watch parties already signed up here:
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/?show_all_events=true
See you there!
oasis
(54,068 posts)Figarosmom
(13,722 posts)and one of them is dead. That should entertain, zombie Milli or Vanilli, oh wait they (he) canceled (they were foreigners anyway. But who will be preforming at different times starting June 24th are Vanilla Ice, Martina McBboutique? Morris Day, Flo Rida, The Commodores, and Bret Michaels. And one of the fighters is an "interim champ" . Real life gladiator show. I wonder if trump gives a thumps down or up to end the bout👍👎
Dave Bowman
(7,498 posts)BigmanPigman
(55,586 posts)April 6, 2025. HANDS OFF!
June 14, 2026 NO KINGS
Oct., 18, 2026 NO KINGS
March 28, 2026 NO KINGS
Each one was larger than the last one.
I've been to 32 protests since 2016 and I keep track of activist events.
*I have the feeling that another "assassination attempt" will occur at the UFC/birthday bash.
Ballroom, ballroom, ballroom!