No Kings Day poster

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

This collection has been minimally processed and is open for research.

Preferred citation:

MSS 16954, No Kings Day poster, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library

Summary

Extent:
.25 Cubic Feet 1 Small Flat File Folder
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

MSS 16954, No Kings Day poster, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains one hand-drawn sign on a foamcore poster board from the local Charlottesville "No Kings" day demonstration held at the Stonefield Mall. The poster, measuring 20 x 30 inches, says "No Kings! in USA Stop President Death (Trump)" and has several king and joker playing cards and miniature American flags taped to it. The "No Kings" protests were held on June 14, 2025, to demonstrate against the policies and actions of President Donald Trump's second term. These took place primarily in the United States but also occurred internationally.

Biographical / historical:

The "No Kings" protests of June 14th, 2025 were a coordinated nationwide day of demonstrations opposing the second Trump administration. The date was chosen to coincide with the U.S. Army's 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, D.C., which fell on President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Organizers estimated that more than five million people participated across more than 2,100 cities and towns, with the flagship event held in Philadelphia and additional demonstrations in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and twenty foreign countries. The events were organized by a coalition led by the 50501 Movement (which coined the "No Kings" name), Indivisible, and MoveOn, with a coalition of more than 200 participating organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Communications Workers of America.

The June 14th protests followed earlier "No Kings"–branded actions on Presidents' Day (February 17th, 2025) and April 19th, 2025, and they preceded two larger successor mobilizations on October 18th, 2025 and March 28th, 2026.

References

"June 2025 No Kings Protests." Wikipedia. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_No_Kings_protests.

"No Kings Protests." Encyclopædia Britannica. Last updated April 8, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/No-Kings-protests.

Treisman, Rachel. "'No Kings' Anti-Trump Protests to Coincide with Army's Parade on Saturday." NPR, June 14, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/14/nx-s1-5432708/no-kings-protests-military-parade.

Acquisition information:
This collection was a gift from Ellen Welch to the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 21 July 2025.
Physical description:
Good
Dimensions:
folder measures (Small--24 X 36 inches)
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard