Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: What was the estimated crowd size at the No Kings rally in Los Angeles 2024?
Executive Summary
The estimated crowd size for the Los Angeles No Kings rally on October 18, 2025 varies widely across sources: local news and national wire services reported tens of thousands in downtown Los Angeles, while organizers and sympathetic outlets claimed millions nationally with a significant Los Angeles turnout; some local TV reports simply described “thousands” without a firm estimate [1] [2] [3] [4]. The differing tallies reflect divergent counting methods and competing agendas; the most consistent independent reporting places the Los Angeles turnout in the 10,000–25,000 range on the day of the event [1] [5].
1. Why the numbers diverge — competing tallies and who’s counting
Multiple actors produced estimates: event organizers published an aggregate national figure and broad claims about Los Angeles, local media provided on-the-ground reporting with partial estimates, and national outlets offered rounded descriptors like “tens of thousands” or “thousands.” Organizers claimed 7 million total nationwide and described a large Los Angeles presence, which is an aggregate figure that cannot be independently verified from on-site counting [4]. Local coverage in the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press reported 10,000–20,000 or “tens of thousands” in Southern California and downtown Los Angeles, offering a more granular city-level estimate based on journalist observation and local reporting [1] [2]. TV reports used less precise language (“thousands”), underscoring media emphasis differences and the challenge of measuring dynamic crowds [3] [6].
2. What organizers claimed — sweeping national totals framed as local momentum
Organizers of the No Kings rallies published a 7 million nationwide turnout figure and promoted the event as having significant Los Angeles participation; those claims were repeated in some sympathetic commentary and opinion pieces that estimated between 4 and 6 million or 5–6 million in varying accounts [4] [7]. Those numbers are aggregate estimates across 2,600+ events nationwide according to organizer statements, and they are presented without the underlying methodology or site-by-site counts in the materials provided. Organizers’ broad national framing aims to convey scale and political impact, but these aggregate claims do not substitute for independent, city-level measurement or corroboration [4] [7].
3. Independent and mainstream reporting — city-level estimates point to tens of thousands
Mainstream outlets with on-the-ground reporting put the Los Angeles rally in the tens of thousands category: the Los Angeles Times placed the broader Southern California turnout as “tens of thousands,” with downtown Los Angeles estimated at 10,000–20,000, and the Associated Press described a large crowd and notable visuals like a giant inflatable, reinforcing the “tens of thousands” characterization [1] [2]. These sources used journalist observation, local reporting and comparison to past events to derive estimates rather than relying on consolidated organizer tallies. This narrower range aligns with typical city-level crowd reporting practices and contrasts sharply with national totals offered by organizers [1] [2].
4. Local TV coverage and smaller outlets — vagueness and lower-end descriptions
Local television reports from KABC described the Los Angeles No Kings event as drawing “thousands” of protesters, highlighted creative protest elements such as a 20-foot balloon and handmade signs, and focused on crowd behavior and law enforcement responses rather than providing a formal numeric estimate [3] [6]. Worker-oriented outlets and activist publications produced higher local estimates—15,000–20,000—consistent with participant-based reporting and sympathetic vantage points that emphasize turnout and engagement [5]. The divergence between TV vagueness, activist estimates, and mainstream reportage underscores how editorial focus and audience influence framing of crowd size [3] [5].
5. How methodologies and agendas shape the numbers
Aggregate organizer claims (millions nationwide) come from event-wide tallies that may include remote events and self-reported participation, while independent outlets derive city estimates via reporter observation, police statements when available, and historical comparisons. Organizers’ large national figures serve a political messaging purpose and are often repeated in opinion pieces, whereas wire services and local newspapers aim for measured descriptive reporting and provide city-specific ranges like 10,000–20,000 for downtown Los Angeles [4] [7] [1]. Local TV’s use of “thousands” reflects immediacy and caution when precise counts are unavailable, and activist outlets’ higher local counts reflect participant-based amplification [3] [5].
6. Bottom line and best-supported estimate for Los Angeles
Considering the range of reporting methods and the most consistent independent accounts, the best-supported estimate for the Los Angeles No Kings rally on October 18, 2025 is in the tens of thousands — roughly 10,000 to 25,000 people downtown, with broader Southern California participation described as “tens of thousands.” Organizer claims of millions refer to national aggregates across thousands of events and do not provide a verifiable Los Angeles-specific figure; some local outlets reported more conservative “thousands” while activist sources offered higher local tallies [1] [2] [4] [5] [3].