This is the latest in the effort by a range of organizations to protest against President Donald Trump’s policies.
In Rhode Island, the largest protest is expected to be held on the Rhode Island State House lawn.
It is scheduled from 1 PM to 4 PM, and the Rhode Island State Police have said they will be closing the ramps next to the Providence Place Mall in anticipation of the event.
BLM Protest June 2020 PHOTO: GoLocal's Richard McCaffrey
The Question Is, Can This Protest Deliver a Mega Crowd?
But that crowd was dwarfed by the Black Lives Matter protest in Providence at the State House in June of 2020. The crowd estimated by Mike Araujo, one of the organizers of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest, was approximately 10,000. The march was a near-constant chorus of “Black Lives Matter” during the quarter-mile trek.
The protest was held less than two weeks after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis at the hands of four police officers. Then-Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements told GoLocal of the organized protest,” It’s the biggest crowd I have ever seen since I've been on the force."
"No Kings" Protest, June , 2025 PHOTO: GoLocal's Richard McCaffrey
The State Police issued the following about today's event, "Exit ramps to downtown Providence from Route 95 North (exit 37B) and South (exit 37B) and Route 6 East (Memorial Boulevard) will be closed at various times tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, 2025 between 1 pm and approximately 4 pm due to increased pedestrian traffic for a scheduled demonstration at the State House."
The groups sponsoring the No Kings movement include the League of Conservation Voters, the ACLU, and the American Postal Workers Union. See a full list here.
