Fact check: How many people attended no kings protests nationally

1. Summary of the results

The exact number of attendees at the "No Kings" protests varies significantly between sources. While multiple sources cite approximately 5 million participants ^{[1] [2]}, initial crowdsourced data from Strength In Numbers analyzing 40% of events showed 2.6 million attendees, suggesting a total range of 4-6 million participants ^[3]. The protests took place in over 2,000 locations across all 50 states and U.S. territories ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

• Scale and Significance: The protests represent the largest coordinated demonstrations since the beginning of the second Trump administration ^[2], with participation from approximately 1.2-1.8% of the U.S. population ^[3].
• City-specific turnout discrepancies: There are notable inconsistencies in reported numbers for major cities:
• New York City: Reports range from 50,000 ^[1] to 75,000 ^[4] to 200,000 ^[2]
• Los Angeles: Reports vary from "tens of thousands" ^[1] to 20,000 ^[4] to 200,000 ^[2]
• Safety and Violence: The protests were "mostly calm" but experienced some violent incidents, including a car attack in Northern Virginia and police force being used in Los Angeles ^[1].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

• Methodology limitations: The crowdsourced counting effort by Strength In Numbers acknowledges potential limitations in their methodology ^[3], while the Crowd Counting Consortium indicates that precise estimates will take time to compile ^[1].
• Organizational bias: Major progressive organizations like the ACLU and Move On consistently cite the 5 million figure ^[1], which could reflect potential organizational bias in reporting higher numbers to demonstrate greater support for their cause.
• Verification challenges: The significant variations in city-specific numbers suggest that precise national attendance figures should be treated with caution until more thorough verification can be completed.