‘No Kings’ protests planned in the Triangle this weekend. Here’s when & where
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- Nine No Kings rallies are scheduled across the Triangle on Saturday Oct. 18.
- Local coalitions and volunteers organize events aimed at opposing authoritarian acts.
- No Kings calls for nonviolent protests.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
Multiple “No Kings” protests opposing policies of President Donald Trump are scheduled across the Triangle this weekend.
As of Friday, Oct. 17, nine rallies in Triangle cities including Raleigh and Durham will occur Saturday, Oct. 18. These are in addition to many more across North Carolina and the country.
Local events are organized by volunteers and multiple groups. The Raleigh rally, for example, is being organized by a coalition called Triangle Resistance United, whose members include 10 groups such as 50501 NC, Democracy Out Loud, General Strike Carolinas and Moms for NC.
Unless Congress passes a budget this week, the protests will come during the federal government shutdown. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 820,000 federal and Washington D.C. government workers, is encouraging its members to participate in one of the upcoming No Kings rallies.
No Kings protests were previously held Saturday, June 14 and coincided with Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army — commemorated with a huge event in Washington, D.C. — and Trump’s 79th birthday.
No Kings protests in the Triangle
Here’s where the Oct. 18 No Kings rallies will be:
- Apex: 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. at 73 Hunter St.
- Carrboro: 3-4:30 p.m. at 301 W. Main St.
- Cary: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 110 SE Maynard Road
- Clayton: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at 100 W. Main St.
- Durham: 2-4 p.m. at 501 Foster St.
- Hillsborough: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. at 104 E. King St.
- Pittsboro: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 40 E. Chatham St.
- Raleigh: 12-3 p.m. at 6200 Capital Blvd. between Oak Forest Road and Old Wake Forest Road
- Wake Forest: 2-4 p.m. at 221 Brooks St.
Why Raleigh protest isn’t in downtown
Many rallies and protests in Raleigh are held downtown, but the No Kings event isn’t. That’s because the area is too small, Cole Dragotta, the communications director for protest organizer 50501 NC, said in an email.
“We initially hoped to hold the event at Moore Square, but with two major festivals happening downtown that weekend — including one taking over the park — it just wasn’t realistic,” Dragotta said. “We also considered returning to the State Capitol, but it no longer has the space for the size of crowd we’re expecting. Capital Boulevard gives us what we need: visibility, accessibility, and enough room for everyone.”
For a full list of protest sites and times, visit nokings.org.
No Kings writes on its website that its events are nonviolent, and no weapons should be brought to them. All participants are expected to deescalate potential confrontations.
Why are No Kings protests being held?
The October protests are in response to the actions of Trump, who has “doubled down” on “authoritarian power grabs,” according to the No Kings website. Among examples of these actions, according to the No Kings website, are:
- Deploying “masked agents” who target immigrants, profile, arrest and detain people without warrants
- Threatening to overtake elections
- “Gutting” health care, environmental protections and education
- Ignoring mass shootings
- Gerrymandering to “silence voters”
- Increasing the cost of living
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” according to the No Kings website. “But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM with the headline "‘No Kings’ protests planned in the Triangle this weekend. Here’s when & where."
