“No Place for Kings”: Hollywood Stars Join America’s No Kings Protests
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, millions of Americans, along with Hollywood stars, took to the streets this Saturday to join the nationwide “No Kings” protests. Among the well-known faces were Glenn Close, Spike Lee, Jean Smart, John Cusack, and many others.
Deadline reported that U.S. television networks broadcast the event nationwide. This marks the second major protest against Donald Trump and his actions in the White House since last June’s demonstrations.
Close, who recently appeared in All’s Fair—a series produced and directed by Ryan Murphy—shared an Instagram photo of herself holding a sign that read:
“No to oligarchs, no to dictators, no to tyrants, no to autocrats, no to kings!”
Spike Lee, director of Highest 2 Lowest, long known for his criticism of Trump, held a placard featuring the latest TIME magazine cover of Trump with the caption “Time’s Up!” Lee wrote:
“Rise up, stand tall — y’all hear me?”
Jean Smart, Emmy-winning star of Hacks, urged Americans days before to join the “peaceful protests”:
“The current occupant of the White House thinks he’s fooled everyone, but it’s clear he idolizes dictators and wants to be one. The irony is bitter — this nation was founded on our rebellion against monarchy. The most patriotic thing you can do is say: We don’t want a king. There is no place for kings in the United States of America.”
John Cusack, star of Say Anything, said Chicago’s message to Trump was simple:
“Go to hell!”
The 59-year-old actor, a longtime Chicago resident, told CNN in response to the deployment of federal forces in the city:
“It’s ironic — he doesn’t understand that labor rights around the world originated here, in this city. So if he thinks he can turn this place into a fascist hub — not a chance!”
Addressing Trump directly, Cusack said:
“No, you can’t put security forces in our streets. You can’t cause enough chaos to invoke the ‘Insurrection Act’ just to cling to power. We all see your game.”
In Los Angeles, Michelle Mulroney, the new president of the Writers Guild of America West (WGA West), urged members to join the demonstrations. In Washington, D.C., Bill Nye and Mehdi Hasan spoke out, both condemning Trump’s attacks on Jimmy Kimmel and other late-night hosts.
Nye stated:
“The president and his circle cannot tolerate dissent. Our freedom of speech terrifies them. They’re arresting people, denying fair trials, and trying to silence TV hosts. They’re moving to fire, prosecute, or even eliminate judges and members of their own cabinet.”
Hasan, the British-Indian Muslim journalist and former MSNBC host who now runs Zeteo, recalled remarks by Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House, who said protesters “hate America.” Hasan replied:
“I’m here because I love this country. I love America. I love the First Amendment. I love democracy. I love this nation’s diversity — yes, our diversity. And I will never sit back and watch this magnificent multiracial, multicultural democracy, this constitutional republic, be destroyed by a man who once appeared in Home Alone 2.”
Other prominent figures supporting the protests included Pedro Pascal, Margaret Cho, Murray Bartlett, Kathy Griffin, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Daniels, Cecily Strong, and Mark Ruffalo.
