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Chants of “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state” echo in the courtyard of the federal courthouse in Hartford, Conn. as protesters call out against ICE raids in Connecticut and across the country on June 9, 2025. Credit: Ryan Caron King / Connecticut Public

Thirty-three rallies are scheduled across Connecticut on Saturday from Stamford to Dayville, part of a nationwide ‘No Kings’ day of protest against the Trump administration. Rallies are planned to take place in every U.S. state and more than a dozen countries.

The No Kings protest comes after an explosive week of confrontations among protesters and the National Guard in Los Angeles, sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests at a worksite on June 6.

In Connecticut, state police said they were preparing to maintain a safe environment for participants and bystanders and are coordinating closely with local, state and federal partners.

“As demonstrations and public gatherings are expected throughout Connecticut, we want to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety, rights and well-being of all individuals throughout our state. We recognize and support the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and free expression,” state police said in a statement. “We ask everyone to demonstrate safely, respectfully and lawfully.”

Police urged the public to dial 911 in the event of an emergency.

At the Connecticut state Capitol in Hartford, Capitol Police said that they are anticipating a smooth day.

“For all intents and purposes, we believe this will be a nice, peaceful protest, so people can feel free to come and express their views in a safe environment, and that’s what we strive to provide,” said Lt. Greg Wimble.

Sen. Chris Murphy participated in a preparatory call on Thursday with organizers of the No Kings protest.

“I think it may be that this weekend may go down as a key turning point in our movement to save our democracy, to stop Donald Trump from converting it into some kleptocratic oligarchy,” Murphy said.

During that call, organizers shared a list of safety practices for participants, including attending with a buddy, choosing an emergency contact, and identifying exits and meeting points. They also recommended writing important phone numbers on an arm or leg with permanent marker in case a cell phone is unavailable or a participant makes the choice to leave it at home. The organizers said that participants should not wear contact lenses in the unlikely event that tear gas or pepper spray is deployed.

Laura Tillman is CT Mirror’s Human Services Reporter. She shares responsibility for covering housing, child protection, mental health and addiction, developmental disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. Laura began her career in journalism at the Brownsville Herald in 2007, covering the U.S.–Mexico border, and worked as a statehouse reporter for the Associated Press in Mississippi. She was most recently a producer of the national security podcast “In the Room with Peter Bergen” and is the author of two nonfiction books: The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts (2016) and The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo Garcia (2023), which was just awarded the 2024 James Beard Award for literary writing. Her freelance work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Laura holds a degree in International Studies from Vassar College and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Goucher College.