Thousands turn out for Arkansas ‘No Kings’ protests

Several thousand people marched across the Broadway Bridge between Little Rock and North Little Rock on Saturday morning in one of 15 protests statewide as part of a national show of dissent against President Donald Trump’s administration.

Many protest signs displayed the name of the event — “No Kings” — while others criticized specific Trump policies and actions since he began his second term in January, including cuts to the federal workforce, health insurance for low-income people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. American flags were a common theme — on signs, as capes, taped to umbrellas.

“Our democracy is at risk in every form and fashion that I can think of,” said April Hickman, who attended the protest with her daughter, Jayna. “[A journalist] straight up asked Trump, ‘Do you have to follow the Constitution?’ And he said he didn’t know, and that’s in the oath of office.”

Several cars honked at the marchers on the bridge, formally known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge, drawing cheers from the crowd. 

Organizers led a series of chants, including “Dump Trump” and “This is what democracy looks like.”

Courtney Maxwell, a protest co-organizer and former Democratic candidate for the Faulkner County Quorum Court, said she expected a maximum of 1,000 protesters and was pleasantly surprised to see more. Unofficial estimates of the turnout ranged from 2,000 to 8,000.

The turnout means Arkansans are “ready for change” and “waking up” in the face of injustice, Maxwell said.

Vietnam War veteran Pat Slaughter said he had never attended a protest before Saturday but felt motivated by the “total abomination” of the Trump administration.

“We fought to stop this type of behavior,” Slaughter said. “…I love my country and I want my country to be safe, and it’s not safe with Felon 47 in the White House.”

Here’s the interview from @tessmvrbin.bsky.social for @arkansasadvocate.com

— Ainsley Platt (@ainsleyplatt.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T16:58:07.268Z

Others said they have engaged in past protests, such as one Kylie Woodward attended in 2023 against a bill in the state Legislature that would have restricted drag performances similarly to pornography or strip clubs.

Woodward said Saturday’s turnout was impressive, particularly the number of older adults present.

“They’re fighting against what their generation is ultimately putting onto America,” Woodward said.

One family from Camden made the hour-and-a-half trek to Little Rock as first-time protesters, and said it wouldn’t be their last protest because “we’re not going to survive with [Trump],” Mary Frey said.

“A lot of our friends couldn’t even come because they were Black, they were Chinese, Asian.” Frey said. “So we have come for them.”

‘Breaking point’

Little Rock and Fayetteville protest organizers told the Advocate that the two cities’ police departments were aware of their plans for nonviolent organizing. The protest in Little Rock stayed peaceful.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas shared via Facebook photos and videos of several other No Kings demonstrations throughout the state, including Texarkana, Jonesboro, West Memphis, Hot Springs and Harrison.

Other protests were planned for Bentonville, Fort Smith, Monticello, Paragould, Benton/Bryant, Russellville, Eureka Springs and Mountain Home. Protesters in Mountain Home said on Facebook that there were about 300 of them compared to a handful of pro-Trump counterprotesters.

Saturday’s nationwide protest effort coincided with recent tensions in Los Angeles over the arrests of immigrants the Trump administration has claimed are in the country illegally. Ensuing protests have seen occasional violence. 

While many of the Little Rock protesters said it wasn’t their first demonstration, others said the gravity of the current times compelled them to show up. One said he hadn’t protested in years due to his responsibilities as a father, but came to today’s protest with his young family in tow because he felt like “democracy is really on the line.”

At least 2,000 people showed up to the Little Rock 'No Kings Day' protest on Saturday, one of at least 1,500 protests taking place across the U.S. in response to Trump administration actions. Hear and see what Advocate reporters witnessed on the ground as protesters crossed Veterans Memorial Bridge.

— Arkansas Advocate (@arkansasadvocate.com) 2025-06-14T21:32:00.282Z

Nancy Retas of Little Rock was draped in a Mexican flag and holding two American flags while holding a sign that read: “Practice what you preach: Love thy neighbor.” Retas said that “no one is illegal on stolen land,” adding that her mother “has zero felonies, and Trump has 34.”

Retas, a first-time protester, grinned and laughed when asked about the size of the crowd. 

“I was scared that there would be like a hundred people, but I’m so happy that Arkansas is a part of change and hopefully we continue in that.”

One protester’s sign said “Reduce the federal workforce? Fire ICE,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Other signs said, “You can’t spell hatred without red hat,” referring to Trump’s supporters, and “regnat populus,” Arkansas’ state motto, which is Latin for “the people rule.”

Another first-time protester, military veteran Mark Magie, said that his prior service compelled him to attend.

“I believe in the Constitution, and I don’t like what’s happening,” he said. “Some church members where I go to church have come to previous ones and talked about it, and you sort of just reach a breaking point, like I’ve got to do something. And if I can add my voice to the people’s voice, then I think that’s important.”

‘Commit to making a difference’

Leaders of Arkansas and Pulaski County Democrats handed out voter registration forms to the marchers and encouraged people to register to vote. Arkansas has consistently had lower voter turnout than most other states.

Grant Tennille, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, was among those trying to get people registered. He said the day was about sending a message that “we don’t have kings in the United States of America.”

“The crowd is encouraging and incredible,” Tennille said. “I truly believe that one of the most important points of protest is that there are people out here in Arkansas who feel like the people in this crowd; who might be too afraid to stand up. And when they see a crowd of people like this, maybe that helps they to say, ‘Okay, if all those people can do it, I can do it too.’”

Marcus Jones, who ran as a Democrat for Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill’s seat in Congress last year, said the “barrage of confusion that’s coming out of  Washington” is “probably the best reason to stay involved” in political activism.

Jones told rallygoers who convened at Margaret Clark Park on the Little Rock riverfront after the march that he hoped they would take their “righteous anger” and “turn it into action.”

“You’ve got to commit to making a difference in your community,” Jones said. “You’ve got to commit to looking out for your neighbor. You’ve got to commit that you will vote, you will run for office, you will stand up and have your voice heard.”

Andrew Cade Eberly, former state House candidate and current vice chair of the Pulaski County Democratic Party, said the protest taught him and other Democrats what motivates community action.

“We’ve realized we don’t need to have meetings where people show up and get talked at,” Eberly said.

Here are some photos to give a better idea of crowd size in Little Rock. Protesters stuck to the pedestrian walkway on one side. The group was much longer than the bridge, taking the better part of an hour for full group to walk across. Likely a few thousand people at peak. @arkansasadvocate.com

— Ainsley Platt (@ainsleyplatt.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T18:10:07.452Z