Photography: No Kings March 10/18/25

Photography: No Kings March 10/18/25

The meeting point for No Kings 2.0 was Father Duffy Square in Midtown Manhattan. So, I got off a Downtown-bound R train at the 47th Street and 7th Avenue end of the 49th Street N, R, W at a little after 10:00am. An hour before the march was supposed to start and the crowd was so massive, that it began to spill into Broadway and into 46th Street. 

No one knew exactly where the front of the march was but I took pictures of protesters. I ran into some fellow photogs and traded jokes. I found out that the front of the march was around 43rd Street. (Actually, it was 42nd Street.) I walked with the first wave of the march down to its conclusion at 14th and 7th Avenue. 

Broadway is fairly flat and at points narrow, so initially, it was difficult to get a sense of how many people were out there. But this one felt very different: There were protestors with signs on both sides of Broadway for several blocks of the route. At roughly 38th Street, there was a brass band bringing that funk. There are always curious onlookers for these things — but I saw folks taking photos and videos from their apartments and terraces. It was chaotic, defiant, joyful — and importantly peaceful. 

Luckily, I had a few friends who were also out in the streets so in an attempt to catch up with them, I walked back up from 14th to 36th street. I saw a dizzying wave after wave of people — men, women, nonbinary, families with young children, people with dogs, folks in costumes. Whatever the early estimates are, it felt like 5-6 times that. 

After waking about 5 miles, I desperately wanted to sit down. At Union Square, I caught part of a No Kings-related demonstration that featured several different speakers, including your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man. 

One more time y’all: Protest, dissent and hating Nazis and fascists are as an American as apple pie. Each and every one of you has a voice and talents. Step up and speak out how in ways that are natural to you. History and future generations will watch and judge us.

And as always, I’m deeply proud of being part of a free and independent press, of being out there with you at this moment and documenting for future generations. Power to the people, cause the people have the power. y’all.