If the mainstream media is to be believed, this weekend’s No Kings protests were by far the largest ever. Reports claim the events marked the biggest single-day protest in U.S. history, with nearly 7 million participants across over 2,700 cities and towns. Organizers highlighted a “largely peaceful” turnout, including massive gatherings in New York and smaller demonstrations nationwide. The protests followed months of tensions over immigration policies, federal enforcement actions, and political polarization.
Protesters carried signs opposing authoritarianism, billionaires, and immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, while chanting slogans such as “This is what democracy looks like.” Yellow clothing became a symbol of unity, with organizers describing it as a “bright, unmistakable reminder” of collective resistance. Organizers also claimed the event drew 2 million more participants than a previous No Kings rally in June.
However, critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of media coverage. Multiple outlets, including CNN and MSNBC, faced accusations of using outdated or manipulated footage to depict the crowds. For example, a clip from CNN showed a supposedly large demonstration in Washington, D.C., but viewers noted the crowd had already thinned by the time the report aired. Similarly, an MSNBC segment featured a Boston scene labeled as “This… is… Boston,” only for observers to identify it as footage from seven years prior.
Questions about the media’s credibility have intensified as AI tools and deepfake technology make it harder to distinguish genuine content from fabricated material. A popular X account, MJTruthUltra, highlighted instances where protests were depicted with artificially inflated crowds. Organizers of the No Kings movement, including Indivisible co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, emphasized the event’s significance as a rejection of “authoritarianism” but did not address the controversy over media coverage.
The debate over the authenticity of protest footage continues, with some suggesting the true scale of the demonstrations remains unclear.