No Kings movement announces new wave of protests in Pittsburgh

The No Kings movement, outraged by President Trump’s deployment of military guards in U.S. cities, is planning a second wave of national protests, including a major gathering next month in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“In recent weeks, President Trump has escalated his authoritarian agenda, threatening to deploy additional militarized forces into U.S. cities, expanding the detention and encampment of immigrants, and even suggesting that ‘maybe (America would) like a dictator,’” a press release about the upcoming event said.

The No Kings coalition announced the nationwide day of protest would take place on Oct. 18.

Tracy Baton, director of Indivisible Pittsburgh, confirmed on Monday that they have received a permit to gather at 12:20 p.m. at the City-County Building.

“We are excited to see all of our neighbors,” Baton said.

Since the summer, the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

In June, the Associated Press reported that Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles after altercations between hundreds of protesters and immigration authorities, in spite of objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. A month later, federal officers and National Guard troops entered a Los Angeles park in a largely immigrant neighborhood to protect immigration officers.

Then, in August, Trump activated 800 members of the National Guard to Washington’s police department in the hopes of reducing crime. Washington officials called the Trump administration’s actions unlawful, citing that crime was down in comparison to the previous year, as reported by the Associated Press.

On Sept. 2, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco ruled that Trump broke federal law by sending National Guard troops to the Los Angeles. Trump said last week that the he plans to order federal authorities to mobilize in Chicago and Baltimore, despite backlash from both elected leaders and residents in both cities, as reported by the Associated Press.

The day before, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the state has been preparing for the possibility that Trump could deploy the National Guard to Philadelphia. On Thursday, a White House spokeswoman responded by calling Shapiro a “wannabe presidential candidate” in a statement to TribLive.

In June, protests across Western Pennsylvania — in Pittsburgh, Greensburg and Cranberry — used the No Kings name to voice opposition to Trump and his administration’s policies. In Downtown — outside of the City-County Building — demonstrators filled Grant Street from Fourth to Fifth Avenues. Protesters also took over the parking lot across from the City-County Building.

The Downtown protest was peaceful and lasted roughly six hours.

On Monday, Baton said she expects a similar turnout at October’s protest.

In addition to the Downtown protest, there is another demonstration scheduled at 11 a.m. at Point State Park.

There were no other Western Pennsylvania event locations listed on the No Kings map on Tuesday.

Indivisible will be hosting a series of events on the Sundays leading up to the No Kings protest.

“(The) day of action is the next step in this growing movement, channeling that energy into another coordinated, peaceful mobilization,” the release said.