Celebrities take a stand among Americans
In a gigantic show of civic activism, the “No Kings” protests erupted nation-wide throughout the United States on Oct. 18, and seven million protesters showed up at more than 2,700 events throughout the country, according to NBC News. Organized by activist groups such as Indivisible, the unified protests were against President Trump’s immigration practices and his recent deployment of federal troops and National Guard in several large American cities.
The crowd size was historic, one of the largest single-day nationwide protests in U.S. history, MSNBC reported. What caught notice, however, was not only the crowd size, but the growing public profile of Hollywood celebrities beyond social media to express their support. Celebrities and actors such as John Cusack, Pedro Pascal, Kerry Washington, Cecily Strong, Billy Eichner, Kathy Griffin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Glenn Close, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Carrie Coon and Margaret Cho were among the demonstrators around the country. Their participation added celebrity brawn to a movement grounded in defending democratic principles, freedom of expression and the ability to disagree.
The “No Kings” chant, a blunt accusation of authoritarian rule, was a rallying cry from New York to Los Angeles, shouted by both seasoned demonstrators and first-time activists. Several celebrities made sure to point out that they were not there in a performative sense, but in a very personal one. Cusack marched in Los Angeles with educators and union organizers, Washington spoke to a crowd in New York City, demanding “a government that serves, not rules.”
The demonstrations gained even more publicity when President Trump responded on Truth Social in the shape of an AI-generated video of himself as a fighter pilot releasing a brown substance, which resembled feces, over protesters. The “King Trump” jet was condemned by public figures and protesters alike as “unprofessional and disturbing.” In many eyes, the clip did little more than confirm the very message of the “No Kings” campaign: that no leader can stand above decency or accountability.
Apart from the program, these protests were a revolutionary shift in the level of engagement between entertainment artists and activism. At a time when celebrity voices have the potential to take over digital spaces, these artists chose to physically enter into the scene along with ordinary people rather than through screens. Their participation brought more visibility to the protests and turned what would have otherwise been a political occurrence into a cultural phenomenon.
Several have committed to keeping the movement alive through community. For the celebrities who joined the “No Kings” protests, their attendance was more than a question of political allegiance. It was a promise to reclaim humanity in a time when division and disinformation too often dominate the discussion. That way, the role of the entertainment industry in the protests was what art has been doing all along. Hold up a mirror to power and remind us that even those who live in the spotlight can represent something bigger than themselves.