ALI ROGIN: Good evening.

I'm Ali Rogin.

John Yang# is away.

Millions turned out across the country## today for a coordinated day of protest against# President Donald Trump and his administration's## policies.

Organizers expected more than 2,600# No Kings rallies in big cities and small towns## across all 50 states and some European capitals,# including Paris, London, Madrid and Berlin.

A similar event in June brought out more than 5## million demonstrators across# the country.

But this time,## organizers the mobilization was even bigger.

ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Today's protests spanned## the nation and other parts of the globe.

Massive# crowds turned out in major cities including New## York, Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago.# Demonstrators also gathered in tiny towns## like this one in rural Virginia and across the# country.

They all shared a singular message.

SEN.

CHRIS MURPHY (D) Connecticut:# Simple words, no kings.

ALISON ELLIOTT: We want to show our support# for democracy and for fighting what is right.

ALI ROGIN (voice-over): Protesters named# immigration raids and President Donald## Trump's deployment of the National Guard to# certain cities.

Among the reasons they came out.

MAN: He should not be able to conduct these# overreaches of his power invading cities.

JENNIE LITSER-NEVES: As an# immigrant here in Germany,## it's really important to me that America was# founded on immigrants, by immigrants and the## fact that they are trying to shut that out# and rewrite history is a really big deal.

ALI ROGIN (voice-over): President# Trump's allies criticized the## rallies as gatherings of extremists.

On Friday,## House Speaker Mike Johnson said they showed# how fringe the political left had become.

REP.

MIKE JOHNSON, Speaker of the House: If you# think about what's going to happen here tomorrow,## you're going to bring together# the Marxists, the socialists,## the Antifa advocates, the anarchists and the# pro-Hamas wing of the far left Democrat Party,## that is the modern Democratic# Party.

That's where they've gone.

ALI ROGIN (voice-over): But on streets# across America, the crowds were energized,## what organizers said was a large# scale exercise in peaceful protest.

ALI ROGIN: For more now on those protests, we# turn to Robert Weissman, co-president of Public## Citizen, a consumer advocacy group that is one# of the protest organizers.

Robert, thank you so## much for being here.

You just got back from the# D.C.

rally downtown from your office.

How was it?

ROBERT WEISSMAN, Co-President, Public Citizen:# How was awesome.

We had hundreds of thousands## of people on the street to protest Donald# Trump's authoritarianism.

It was passio.. then it was joyful.

There was a# dance party on the steps of the## Labor Department where people inflatable# costumes.

There were hysterical signs.

But there was a really clear message# that we intend to defend our democracy## by exercising our democratic rights.# We're not capitulating to Donald## Trump and his authoritarianism, his# effort to scare us into submission.

ALI ROGIN: And as we mentioned,# the turnout today was anticipated## to be bigger than the no Kings# protests that were held in June,## with more people attending and more rallies# across the country.

Why do you think that is?

ROBERT WEISSMAN: I think there's two things# going on.

I think that Trump's authoritarianism## is getting worse and mobilizing more people, but I# think his effort to intimidate is failing as well.## And each time people turn out, each time# people protest, each time people stand up,## it makes it easier for the next set of# people to do that.

So we think that today,## when all is said and done, it will have been# the largest day of protest in American history.

All to defend our democracy, oppose the ICE# raids, oppose the National Guard on our streets,## oppose the illegal firings of federal employees,# opposing the illegal shutdown of agencies.

And## more people want a government that works for us,# not for Donald Trump and his oligarch friends.

ALI ROGIN: You mentioned some of the# issues that drove people out today.

I'm## wondering what you've been hearing from folks# participating in the rally in D.C.

all over## the rest of the country.

Are people motivated# by individual issues?

Are they motivated by## the overall approach of this administration, or# have you found it to be a combination of factors?

ROBERT WEISSMAN: Yeah, I think it's both.

I# mean, I think people are really worried about## the fate of our country and understand# that, in total, what Trump is trying## to do is take away our democracy and# replace it with authoritarian regime.

So some people may be more motivated# by the pressure on universities or by## the illegal abductions of immigrants or# by the deployment of the National Guard,## or by the shutdown of the Consumer# Financial Protection Bureau that's## protecting us from financial fraudsters, or by# the weaponization of the Department of Justice.

But everybody understands whatever# the thing that gets them going,## it's all part of a bigger tapestry of this# authoritarian agenda, and they're ready,## willing, and passionate about standing up to it.

ALI ROGIN: As you well know, Republicans,# other allies of President Trump, have been## criticizing these rallies.

Speaker Mike Johnson# referred to it as a Hate America Day of Protest,## and that it's -- it was really there to# stand against everything that America## stands for.

And I wonder, what# do you make of that criticism?

ROBERT WEISSMAN: Well, it was both# ridiculous.

We had millions of## Americans on the street today from# all walks of life, in every state,## in every congressional district, in Speaker# Johnson's district, with 12 different events,## all kinds of people.

They don't# hate America, they love America.

But it was shameful, too, because you may# disagree with what the protesters are asking for,## but you should be embracing and celebrating# our right to protest instead of telling us stay## home and be quiet or claiming that we're seeking# violence by exercising our First Amendment rights.

Protest is what's driven every significant moment# of progress in American history, including our## independence.

And it's protest now that's going to# block this authoritarian agenda of Donald Trump.

ALI ROGIN: And what do you want Americans# to take away from today's events?

ROBERT WEISSMAN: I think what Trump is trying# to do is make people feel scared and isolated## and that his agenda is inevitable.

And when you# see this outpouring of people on the streets,## even if you weren't part of it, you# should know that you're not alone,## that people don't agree with this agenda.

And# if you didn't join today, join the next one.## Find a community organization.

There's power# in togetherness and in solidarity and love.

And I think that's the way we're going# to defeat authoritarianism.

That's what## the best of what America is, when we# come together unified.

And I think## that's what we display today and people who# weren't part of it.

Join us the next time.

ALI ROGIN: Robert Weissman with Public## Citizen.

Thank you so much.

ROBERT WEISMAN: Thank you.