Thousands of people gathered in Richmond on Saturday as part of more than 2,700 No Kings II protests held across the nation.

The Richmond event, organized by groups such as 50501 Virginia and RVA Indivisible, was one of several held in Virginia in response to policies by the Trump administration that organizers say undermine civil rights and democracy. 

Previous protests have attracted large numbers, and attendance was even higher over the weekend, with at least 14,000 people at the Richmond protest, according to organizers, and the national No Kings team reporting nearly 7 million attendees nationwide. 

About a dozen counterprotesters were present at the start of the event, though no conflicts were reported during the afternoon. 

The enthusiasm of the crowd was sustained across hours of activity, which included a march from the state Capitol to Monroe Park, musical performances at both locations, and speeches from organizers decrying the state of the country and calling for an inclusive, transformative vision for the nation. 

“History shows that when power is at its most corrupt, it’s primed for the people to seize it,” said Reed Baldwin of the Party for Socialism and Liberation Virginia, addressing the crowd in Capitol Square. “We’re all out here today to reclaim that power, the power that generations before us across the world, across the country, have fought for and continue to fight for today.” 

Like previous protests, the need for collective efforts to build a better country was stressed throughout the event by attendees and speakers from groups including the Richmond Education Association, Prisoners’ Rights Clinic and Richmond Defensa. 

With Virginia’s elections underway, the importance of voting and helping others cast their ballots was repeatedly raised as an example of tangible action by speakers and attendees. 

Those present also discussed continuing their activism beyond the protest, through community organizing and advocacy efforts. 

“We cannot go quietly,” said Richmond resident Sidney Haisley, who attended the event with her two dogs, both wearing signs decrying the war in Gaza and deportations carried out by ICE. “We need to be loud, we need to rage, we need to share what’s going on, and we need to protect those of us who can’t use their voices as loudly.” 

Speakers also called for accountability not only from the federal government but from institutions and policies that have echoed its actions, citing the prison system, immigration practices and labor relations. 

“We need to build each other up and do what we have to do,” said Leslie Cunningham, attending the protests for the first time alongside brother-in-law Terry Glenn. “Because there’s no way in the world we’re going back to what used to be.”