Protesters gather around Nebraska Capitol for No Kings protest

No Kings protesters at the Nebraska Capitol on Oct. 18, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN — More than 1,000 protesters gathered around the Nebraska Capitol this weekend to protest against the Trump administration.

Saturday wasn’t the first crop of No Kings protests in the state; there were a dozen similar protests in June. This time around, there are 15. The protesters held anti-Trump signs criticizing the callousness of the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and cuts to federal services. Some chanted for President Donald Trump “to go.”

Some protesters, who did not give their names, said they were happy with the turnout, citing frustrations over the president’s deployment of the National Guard to Democratic-led cities and attacks on transgender rights as frustrations.

The Nebraska protests were part of an estimated 1,900 protests nationally on Saturday, No Kings officials estimated. Organizers said people wanted to speak out against “authoritarian policies” and “reaffirm that America has No Kings, and the power belongs to the people.”

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln told the Examiner that the protests are “what Democracy looks like.”

“[Democracy] was on my mind as I joined my mom, my son and my neighbors at a peaceful protest … to show love and support for our country and dissent for the current attacks on working families, civil rights, and basic democracy,” she said.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln at the No Kings protest at the Nebraska Capitol on Oct. 18, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner)

Gov. Jim Pillen shared no details this time around about security preparations, unlike June, when he publicized having activated the National Guard ahead of the first No Kings protests.

“Demonstrations will be actively monitored as they are held across the state and responded to appropriately to ensure the safety and security of the public,” said Laura Strimple, a spokesperson for Pillen.

Much like the midsummer protests, the one outside the Capitol was peaceful, with protesters holding signs by the side of the road as cars passed. Some cars honked in support, while one drove by with “Trump” flags.

One counter-protester carried a sign that read “no queens” with a picture of former Vice President Kamala Harris. The Nebraska Republican Party called the protests across the state “an imagined, astro-turfed performance by Democrats trying to resuscitate a party in chaos through fear and theatrics.”

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“Republicans will keep rallying behind a President who actually puts America first and negotiates peace deals in his spare time,” Nebraska GOP chair Mary Jane Truemper said in a statement.

Democratic and Democratic-aligned groups used the protests to reach potential voters. The Lancaster County Democrats, Stand Up Nebraska and the Democratic Socialists of America held booths.

Local organizers booked musical performances and speakers. Speakers emphasized the importance of next year’s midterm elections. One of them was State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. A musician sang “This Land Is Your Land.”

“I know it’s a dark time in our country right now, and in a state like Nebraska it can sometimes feel impossible to beat billionaires, but I want to offer you some hope,” Dungan told the crowd. “I’m talking with people in their communities … and let me tell you. They’re pissed off, too.”