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By Steve Mollman
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As millions of Americans—including a fair number of celebrities—took to the streets for the latest round of “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump and his administration, solidarity demonstrations also unfolded across Europe and beyond. But in countries that still have monarchs, organizers made a deliberate adjustment.
Protesters in several constitutional monarchies rallied under banners reading “No Tyrants” or “No Dictators,” instead of "No Kings"—a change organizers said was meant to avoid confusion with local political systems while keeping the focus squarely on U.S. politics and what they describe as authoritarian drift under Trump.
Why the Slogan Changed
The slogan “No Kings” is rooted in American political history, evoking the country’s founding rejection of monarchy.
Read More on Politics
In monarchies, protest leaders worried that using “No Kings” could be misread as a critique of local constitutional arrangements rather than a protest aimed at Trump and the White House.
The Spanish outlet AS USA noted that “in countries that still have a monarchy, the motto ‘No Tyrants’ or ‘No Dictators’ has been adopted” to avoid that confusion while maintaining solidarity with the U.S. protests.
Denmark: “No Tyrants” by Design
In Copenhagen, Democrats Abroad organized a march explicitly labeled “No Tyrants–Stand Up for American Democracy.” On the event page, organizers made clear why the original slogan was off‑limits.
“As Denmark has a monarchy and does have a king, Democrats Abroad Denmark will NOT be using the ‘No Kings’ language,” the organizers wrote, asking participants not to bring signs using the phrase.
The protesters marched from Kongens Nytorv toward the U.S. Embassy. While exact turnout figures were not provided, Democrats Abroad said similar “No Tyrants / No Kings” demonstrations were held in dozens of cities worldwide, including several European capitals.
Canada: “No Tyrants” Outside U.S. Consulates
In Canada, where King Charles III remains head of state, protesters also avoided “No Kings.” In Toronto, hundreds gathered outside the U.S. consulate under the banner “No Tyrants,” before marching to Queen’s Park.
The protest was organized by the Toronto chapter of Democrats Abroad alongside Indivisible. Julie Buchanan, chair of Toronto Democrats Abroad, told The Varsity organizers chose the wording to keep the protest focused on U.S. politics rather than Canada’s constitutional monarchy.
Turnout estimates varied, with organizers putting attendance at around 600, while other estimates ran closer to 1,000. Similar demonstrations were reported in other Canadian cities, though most were modest compared with the massive U.S. rallies.
United Kingdom: Avoiding Mixed Signals
In the United Kingdom, where Charles ascended the throne in 2022, solidarity protests were held in London and other cities, often outside U.S. diplomatic buildings.
International reporting and organizer materials grouped the U.K. among monarchies where alternate slogans were adopted, typically “No Tyrants” or “No Dictators.” Organizers did not uniformly issue public statements explaining the change, but the rationale echoed that used elsewhere—avoiding any suggestion that the protests were aimed at Britain’s own constitutional order.
A flyer for the protest in London read, “No Tyrants. Global Day of Defiance. Courage is Contagious.”
Crowds there were far smaller than those seen in major U.S. cities, consisting largely of American expatriates and local supporters. As with other international protests, precise turnout figures were not released.
Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands
The same naming logic applied in other European monarchies.
Spain and Sweden were listed among countries where solidarity protests took place and where organizers opted for “No Tyrants” or “No Dictators,” according to AS USA’s roundup of international demonstrations. Both countries are constitutional monarchies with largely ceremonial royal families.
In the Netherlands, Democrats Abroad included Amsterdam among the cities hosting “No Tyrants / No Kings” events as part of a global day of action.
As elsewhere, turnout in these countries tended to be in the hundreds rather than the thousands, with protests described as symbolic solidarity actions rather than mass mobilizations.
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A Global Message, Locally Adapted
Taken together, the protests illustrate how the “No Kings” movement—dismissed by the White House as "Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions"—has traveled beyond the U.S. while remaining tightly focused on American politics.
While international turnout was modest compared with the millions who marched in the U.S., the protests underscored the extent to which Trump’s presidency—and the opposition to it—has become a global political touchstone, even in countries that still have kings.
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