Pro-democracy leaders met virtually Tuesday, Oct. 14, to discuss the role of faith communities in protest movements ahead of this Saturday’s nationwide “No Kings Day” demonstrations. The event, hosted by Interfaith Alliance, included inspirational messages and training in strategies for nonviolent resistance.
The “No Kings” protests are part of a growing movement pushing back against what participants view as authoritarian threats to democracy under the second Trump administration. Organizers aim to stage simultaneous demonstrations across all 50 states and U.S. territories. The first “No Kings” event, held June 14 to coincide with a U.S. Army parade on President Trump’s birthday, drew about 5 million participants in more than 2,000 locations.
Tuesday’s webinar, titled The Sacred Tradition of Protest, featured presentations from faith-based and secular organizations, each emphasizing the historic and ongoing role of religious communities in resisting authoritarianism.
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, reflected on how diverse religious traditions inspire moral action.
“The Hebrew prophets protested injustice in their own times,” she said. “Dharmic traditions underscore the concept of dharma, which includes a moral responsibility to engage in society at large. For Muslims, the Quran teaches that God commands justice and the doing of good, and believers are admonished to stand firmly for justice and to witness God.”
Rev. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, pointed to Jesus’ call to care for the vulnerable. Referencing Matthew 25, he said Christians will ultimately be judged by how they respond to human need: “When I was hungry, did you feed me? When I was naked, did you clothe me? When I was an immigrant, did you welcome me?”
The “No Kings” movement has emerged as Trump and his allies portray the protests as violent. House Speaker Mike Johnson called “No Kings” events “hate America” rallies for the “pro-Hamas wing” of the Democratic Party. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota echoed Johnson’s rhetoric.
Although organizers intentionally avoided holding a June 14 demonstration in Washington, D.C., Trump threatened to meet any protest at the military parade with force.
At Tuesday’s Interfaith Alliance training, Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart addressed participants’ fears about potential violence. “We’re afraid, and we’re going anyway, because we won’t be by ourselves,” she said. “That risk is more tolerable in the collective.”
Washington-Leapheart, strategic partnerships director at Political Research Associates, urged Christians to draw on the nonviolent traditions of past movements. “What if Sunday morning became a place where we learn to tolerate risk?” she asked, suggesting that worship gatherings could incorporate de-escalation training rooted in sacred texts.
Other presenters included Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president of Interfaith Alliance, and Mary Small, managing director of Indivisible.
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