‘No Kings’ Protest draws thousands in Rapid City, highlights Indigenous Resistance

Left: Mona Herrington and Chantelle Blue Arm stand in the median during the No Kings protest Oct. 18. Middle: Woman whose sone joined the Army to protect Americans shows her supports at the No Kings protest rally. Right: Indigenous protestor carries an upside down American Flag and a Landback flag. (Phots by Natalie Stites Means and Valance Blue Arm) PROTEST story on A3

Mona Herrington and Chantelle Blue Arm stand in the median during the No Kings protest Oct. 18. (Photos by Natalie Stites Means and Valance Blue Arm)

RAPID CITY – Thousands of demonstrators lined Omaha Street in downtown Rapid City on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings II” protest, a coordinated day of action opposing authoritarianism and calling for the restoration of democratic norms. From 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people gathered near City Hall at 6th & Omaha Streets, joining millions across the country in one of the largest single-day protest movements in recent U.S. history.

While no official count was released, estimates based on street coverage and organizer reports place attendance between 3,000 and 5,000 people. Protesters lined both sides of Omaha Street for three blocks, often one to two people deep—enough to fill the corridor with a steady wave of signs, chants, and solidarity.

Among the sea of messages, one image stood out: a man carrying both an upside-down American flag—a traditional signal of distress—and a bold Land Back flag, symbolizing Indigenous sovereignty and resistance. His presence underscored the deep intersections between the protest’s national message and local Indigenous struggles.

Woman whose son joined the Army to protect Americans shows her supports at the No Kings protest rally.

Organized by Indivisible Rapid City and supported by groups including the ACLU, MoveOn, and Third Act, the event featured speeches, chants, and a food donation drive for Feeding South Dakota. Protesters held signs reading “No Kings in America,” “Democracy Not Dictatorship,” and “Power to the People.”

The “No Kings” movement, which began in June 2025, has grown in response to what critics describe as authoritarian overreach by President Donald Trump’s administration. Protesters cite increased military presence in cities, threats to civil liberties, and political targeting of dissenters.

In South Dakota, additional protests were held in Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Pierre, Chamberlain, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, and Yankton, with thousands more joining the call for democratic accountability and Indigenous justice.

Despite the scale of the protests nationwide, reports indicated only minor injuries and a few dozen arrests, underscoring the peaceful nature of the demonstrations.

As one Lakota elder observed during the protest, “We’ve been resisting kings for generations. This isn’t new—it’s just louder now.”

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)