Fact check: How many people participated in the No Kings protests this weekend?

1. Summary of the results

The exact number of participants in the "No Kings" protests varies by source, but multiple analyses confirm it was one of the largest coordinated protests in recent U.S. history. Preliminary data from 40% of events showed 2.6 million attendees ^[1], with organizers consistently claiming a total of 5 million participants nationwide ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The protests took place across approximately 2,000 locations in all 50 states and U.S. territories ^{[2] [4]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial details were missing from the original question:

• The protests were organized by the American Federation of Teachers and Communications Workers of America ^[2]
• This was the largest coordinated protest since the beginning of Trump's second administration ^[2]
• The protests were largely peaceful, though there were some isolated confrontations with police ^[5]

Specific city attendance numbers varied significantly:

• New York City: Reports range from 50,000 ^[5] to 200,000 ^[3]
• Philadelphia: Between 80,000-100,000 ^{[2] [4]}
• Boston: Approximately 1,000,000 ^[2]
• Seattle: Over 70,000 ^[2]
• Los Angeles: Over 20,000 ^[5]
• Salt Lake City: 10,000 ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several potential sources of bias should be considered:

• The total participation numbers (5 million) come from organizers' claims, who may have an interest in reporting higher numbers to demonstrate the movement's strength ^{[1] [3]}
• The preliminary data showing 2.6 million from 40% of events suggests the total might be lower than the claimed 5 million ^[1]
• The crowdsourced nature of these estimates, rather than official counts, makes exact numbers difficult to verify ^[1]
• The significant discrepancy in reported numbers for some cities (like New York) suggests potential counting methodology issues or bias in different reporting sources