Chicago 'No Kings' rally pivots toward anti-ICE and immigrant rights demands

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Thousands flooded Grant Park’s Butler Field in Chicago on Saturday, October 18, for the city’s 'No Kings' rally, which quickly evolved into a sweeping anti-ICE and pro-democracy demonstration.

Organizers estimated that more than 10,000 people attended the event, waving signs that read “Hands Off Chicago,” “Resist Fascism,” and “Hands Off Our Constitution.”

The rally’s tone was defiant and emotional, allegedly reflecting anger over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and plans to deploy federal troops to the city.

Mayor Brandon Johnson says ‘we will not cower’

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson electrified the crowd with his speech, declaring that the city will not bow to federal pressure.

This comes after the Trump administration requested the Supreme Court on Friday to allow the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area.

“They have decided that they want a rematch of the Civil War,” Johnson said.

“We will not bend, we will not bow, we will not cower, we will not submit. We do not want troops in our city,” he added.

Illinois Representative Jonathan Jackson and ACLU Illinois Communications Director Ed Yohnka followed Johnson, each receiving roaring applause.

Other prominent political figures in attendance were Senator Dick Durbin, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Representative Chuy García, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

JB Pritzker says resistance is in American blood

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delivered one of the rally’s most powerful speeches, urging Chicagoans to stand up against cruelty and injustice.

“History will judge us by where we choose to stand right now,” Pritzker said.

“Future generations will ask: 'What did we do when fellow human beings face persecution? When our rights were being abridged? When our Constitution was under attack?... Resistance starts with refusing to normalize cruelty,” he continued.

He warned that attacks on immigrants’ rights and free speech threaten all Americans.

“An attack on free speech, on immigrants' rights, on due process is an attack on everyone’s rights,” he said. “We’re either building a society based on human dignity or one based on domination.”

Pritzker reminded the crowd that Chicago’s history is rooted in survival and defiance.

“The vast majority of Chicagoans are here because our ancestors fought to escape from tyranny,” he said.

“Resistance and survival are in our American blood,” Pritzker concluded.