‘A dark path we’re on.’ Anti-Trump, ‘No Kings’ protest in Memphis draws large crowd
- Nearly 4,000 people protested the Trump administration in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement.
- Local political figures like Shelby County Democratic Party Chair Willie Simon and General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer spoke at the event.
- The Memphis protest included performances and a minor confrontation with a counter-protester.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the crowd size.
Nearly 4,000 people gathered at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and Highland Street in Memphis to protest President Donald Trump‘s administration on June 14.
Demonstrators filled all four corners of the intersection, waving flags, holding signs and cheering as passing cars honked in acknowledgement of the crowds.
The protest was part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement, intended to be a coordinated day of peaceful protests against the Trump administration. Protests took place in most major cities in the U.S. In some places, like New York City, organizers held multiple protests across the city.
One demonstrator in Memphis, Casey Harmuth, said he was there to protest the “complete dismantling of rule of law” in the United States.
“It’s a dark path that we’re on,” he said. “We’ve seen what happens when power gets too concentrated in one person, in one branch of government, at the expense of the others. It’s a slow devolution into an authoritarian state.”
Michael Belz held a flag with blue, green and red stripes in support of police officers, military and EMTs and firefighters.
“We are patriots,” he said. “We support the values of this country and the people that help make it operate, unlike the current administration.”
Aside from protesting the Trump administration, protesters represented several other causes. Some waved Palestinian flags or wore keffiyeh scarves. Many participants held signs denouncing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
One person at the rally said she was there to serve as a voice for her family, who live in fear every day. Morgan Stewart, a local public school teacher, said her students deserve the right to come to school and learn.
“When students show up to school, I don’t think about what their immigration status is,” she said.
Willie Simon, the chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, spoke at the event.
“Are we just going to stand out here and hold up signs?” He asked the crowd. “Or are we going to make sure in 2026, he knows he better not even show his face in Shelby County.”
Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer also spoke. She referenced the early morning June 14 shooting of two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses, two of whom were killed, by a man allegedly posing as a police officer.
“People were killed last night,” she said during the June 14 afternoon rally. “You understand? They’re ringing doorbells.”
“No Kings” protests in Minnesota were cancelled after the attacks.
The Memphis event also included performances from the Mexican Dancer Alliance and the Mighty Souls Brass Band.
One counter-protestor attended and tried to antagonize the crowd, but left after a police officer arrived to mediate the dispute.
There was no large-scale or apparent police presence at the event aside from the officer, who arrived as protesters were dispersing.