by Ainsley Platt, Arkansas Advocate
June 13, 2025

Several Arkansas cities are slated to be the scene of organized “No Kings” demonstrations Saturday, as part of a national protest against President Donald Trump’s policies and actions during his second term.

A map on the No Kings website shows 15 demonstrations are planned in Arkansas. In addition to Little Rock and Fayetteville, other demonstrations are planned for Bentonville, Fort Smith, Texarkana, Monticello, Jonesboro, Paragould, West Memphis, Hot Springs, Benton/Bryant, Russellville, Eureka Springs, Harrison and Mountain Home.

The demonstrations coincide with Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Trump’s 79th birthday. A large-scale military parade, costing as much as $45 million is planned for Washington, D.C. Although the Army’s anniversary celebration isn’t officially tied to Trump’s birthday, the president has had such an event on his wish list since his first term. 

“June 14, Flag Day, is when President Donald Trump is holding a military parade in the nation’s capital, wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars as a birthday gift to himself while his administration defies checks on his power, undermines our civil rights and tries to strip away essential benefits from veterans, seniors, hungry children and others,” the organizers of the No Kings protest in Fayetteville, Indivisible NWA, wrote in a press release.

The planned protests come as tensions in Los Angeles have flared in recent days due to arrests of immigrants the Trump administration says are in the country. The arrests led to large protests occasionally marred by violence. In response to the protests, Trump federalized the California National Guard over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom in order to push back what he described as a “Migrant Invasion,” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promptly ordered them into Los Angeles in the name of protecting federal law enforcement.

A federal court Thursday issued a temporary restraining order returning the National Guard to state control, calling the Trump administration’s actions “illegal.” An appeals court temporarily stayed the ruling soon after.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders chimed in on the L.A. protests while in the nation’s capital earlier this week, saying that unlike Newsom, she would call the Trump administration for assistance if protests similar to the ones in California broke out in Arkansas. 

When contacted for comment on whether state resources would be utilized in response to protests this weekend, a spokesperson for Sanders directed the Advocate to the Arkansas National Guard.

“The Arkansas National Guard always stands ready to support the needs of the state, when directed by the Governor. At this time, we’ve received no request for military support,” Arkansas National Guard spokesperson Bob Oldham said in an email.

Jan Amann, one of Indivisible NWA’s co-leaders, said the emphasis is and always will be having a peaceful, nonviolent protest. She added that there will be marchers in the crowd who have been trained in deescalation techniques.

Indivisible NWA is trying to get attention, Amann said. The group has been protesting weekly in front of U.S. Rep. Steve Womack’s office and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s office in Rogers in attempts to have conversations with them, but their requests for a conversation or a townhall have not been acknowledged, she said.

Amann said she felt confident they were well-prepared for Saturday’s demonstrations. While anything can happen, especially when it comes to “knee-jerk” reactions from individuals, the advantage to having a protest in Fayetteville is how experienced local law enforcement is with handling large crowds with opposing viewpoints, thanks to the presence of the Arkansas Razorbacks and Razorback Stadium.

“They know what to watch for,” Amann said. “Some people come [to protests] wanting to agitate. … When you’re getting a bunch of people with differing points of view, we need to expect that there might be something, but the whole key is preparation.”

Gracie Ziegler, a spokesperson for the city of Fayetteville, echoed Amann in saying the city was well prepared. She said preparations have been thorough, and that the protest organizers have been very communicative. She said the city did not anticipate major issues.

“The police department is aware of the plans, and they’ll be present to make sure everybody stays safe and peaceful, which is the goal of the organizers. They’ve all been in really good communication,” Ziegler said.

Amann said that while the NWA protest would be “rain or shine,” they were keeping an eye on the weather. If more severe weather affects the protest, it likely won’t go forward since their protest permit is for a specific period of time.

In Little Rock, organizers said in a press release that demonstrators will cross the Broadway Street Bridge to North Little Rock at 10 a.m., then return to the Little Rock said for a rally at 11 a.m. at the Margaret Clark Park area behind the Old State House at the end of Conway St.

Along with the “No Kings” theme, the Little Rock event will also highlight the threat Trump’s attack on DEI poses to the majority of Americans — women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.

The Little Rock event is organized by the People’s Protests and Marches and 50501Arkansas, with support from other Central Arkansas groups, according to the press release.

Little Rock Police Department spokesperson Mark Edwards said the department has “a plan in place” for the protests, confirming that additional officers would be on-hand. He would not confirm whether the department would shut down the bridge, saying it was “premature to say what we’ll do. A lot of it will be dictated by the scene and the circumstances.”

“The goal is always for people to be able to — on both sides — to be able to protest in peace, and you want everybody to be safe,” Edwards said.

This story has been updated to include information about the Little Rock protest.

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The content focuses on organized protests against the Trump administration and highlights criticisms of Trump’s policies, particularly emphasizing concerns about misuse of taxpayer money and the administration’s impact on civil rights and vulnerable populations. The article also gives voice to protest organizers and opposition figures, framing their actions as peaceful and justified, while providing context on government and law enforcement responses. This framing and focus suggest a center-left perspective that is critical of conservative leadership and supportive of progressive activism, though it maintains a relatively straightforward and factual tone without extreme language or overt partisanship.