New York streets deserted after ‘No Kings’ protest ends abruptly: ‘They’re all gone’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The “No Kings” protest on Saturday, October 18, ended quickly, according to a video that is going viral on X (formerly Twitter). The street in the video appears largely empty, as demonstrators left shortly after gathering.

The rally, organized by Democratic leaders and leftist activists, marked a show of defiance against the Trump administration.

Viral video shows empty New York street after ‘No Kings’ protest

A video shared by a handle called Isaiah L Carter captures the moment on a street in New York, with commentary describing the protesters’ quick departure.

“And just like a fart in the wind, they're gone. They're all gone. The No Kings protest is over. Just like that. They've all cleared out,” the narrator says in the video.

The commentary also describes the protest as “timed advocacy” and questions the commitment of those involved, calling it “absolutely hilarious” that participants left so quickly to attend their activities.

The narrator further highlights that the only voices labeling President Donald Trump as the “king” are liberals.

Although organizers indicated that the protest will continue in the future, the short-lived nature of the event in that particular area raises questions about the movement’s organizational strength and the dedication of its participants. 

‘No Kings’ protesters turn on Dems, calling party ‘disorganized’

Although the protest was directed against the Trump administration, many demonstrators at the rally expressed their disappointment with the Democratic leadership.

A protester who traveled to Washington from northern Virginia said he didn’t have much faith in the Democratic Party, explaining that they lacked unity, courage, and a clear message.

He added that the Democrats were too disorganized to put up a strong fight, admitting it pained him to say that Trump’s supporters seemed far more organized in comparison.

Clark Furey, who lives in Washington, called on elected Democrats to “throw some more elbows. We’re just taking it on the chin, and we’re not speaking out,” he told NBC News while attending the rally. “You know, I think we need to throw some more elbows. Unfortunately, the high road doesn’t work.” 

Mike Johnson calls the rally 'Anti-America'

During a press conference on October 10, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that leftists would take part in what he called a “hate America rally” over the weekend, referring to the ongoing protests.

Johnson stated that Americans could expect to see groups such as Marxists, socialists, Antifa supporters, anarchists, and what he described as the pro-Hamas wing of the far-left Democratic Party, which he collectively referred to as “the modern Democratic Party.”

“That’s where they’ve gone, and the hate America rally is the common theme among all those groups. Listen to the language they use themselves. Many of them don’t like living in America. They hate capitalism. They hate our free enterprise system. They hate our principles. They hate the ideas that we come in to work every day to fight for, to preserve the greatest nation in the history of the world,” he added.