No Kings Protest Challenge Trump

President Donald Trump has perhaps witnessed his biggest internal challenge till date on October 19, 2025, in the form of No Kings protest. It has been a completely peaceful protests including 2700 events throughout the country in all major and minor cities. Huge marching in major cities besides small gatherings across the countries took places with various placards, posters and banners. Voices against authoritarians are obvious. It will certainly awaken the people of America, where they treat democracy holistically as a fundamental right.

This was not the first one, even Trump has encountered such a smaller scale protest in June, 2025. The message seems to be very rough and tough for a president. Trump had come to the power just 9 months back with a triumphant lead. This is the outcome of almost unilateral decisions of Trump’s administration ranging from bilateral relations, cuts to federal programs, the unwanted raids in cities. Whether its Ukraine war, or his so called “MAGA”, he has failed miserably. People are duly criticizing his new whims regarding visas and his actions on immigrants.  If people losses trust and respect, the leader has to pay through his noses.

A Look Closer to Home: No Kings protest in West Bengal

Enough globetrotting, now let’s shift our gaze to our own home state. Can we even imagine of such No Queen protests across west Bengal? The key difference is that the people of America treats democratic rights as their top priority, whereas we have started tolerating dictatorship as a routine exercise.

We don’t lack information about the violence, molestations and murders or any event, but we fear to raise voice as we are struggling to locate our spine.

It becomes easier for the authoritarian to rule her whims over a spineless society, as she knows no anti-voice can be popped up and even if there is a deviation, it becomes easier to dominate that with power or muscle flexing.

Media – the fourth pillar of democracy

If we turn to the media, the supposed fourth pillar of democracy, we find disappointment instead of accountability. Searching for integrity there feels like searching for a spine in a jellyfish. It is completely hopeless.. The intellectuals, who have been hyper-active in 2009-2011, they have been either enjoying the king’s most hallowed favor or has preferred to take a hibernation. The middleclass citizens have become highly self-centered in the Me First age.

The poorer section is enjoying the king’s blessings through various welfare scheme like Lakshmir Bhandar or Bardhokyo bhata besides a host of others. So the result is predictable.

The misery of the R. G. Kar incident moves us for only a short time. Then the South Calcutta Law incident occurs, and our focus shifts completely.

The sudden loss of jobs of 26000  employed youth fails to send shockwaves through the society.  Beyond that the divide and rule policy of the clever rulers prevail to reduce the impact of such agitation.

Potential Political Impact

The No Kings movement might have failed to jolt society into action or it might have saved from an impassioned and loud rebellion, but the silent revolution through plebiscitary politics can reflect in 2026 assemble election.