Numerous celebrities, including Mark Ruffalo, Ellen Pompeo, and Kerry Washington, participated in “no Kings” rallies across the country this Saturday, voicing their concerns about the current political climate. The protests addressed issues ranging from immigration policies to government overreach.

Mark Ruffalo, speaking at a New York City rally, told Antonio Hylton of MSNBC that democracy is “in real trouble.” He stated that the opposition isn’t strong enough to combat what he sees as the trampling of rights and the Constitution.

Ruffalo added, “We see a president who has made himself a king and a dictator… We’re disgusted and we’re scared. And we know that the only way that – to fight this now is for the people, is to come together.” The actor was also seen with Susan Sarandon at the event.

Ellen Pompeo shared her views at the Tribeca Festival, telling Katie Couric, “the simplest answer is, we need more women in power and more women in leadership. these guys are all so angry. What is happening? I don’t know, have a sandwich, smoke a joint, chill the f-k out. What is wrong? They all want to fight and bomb each other.”

Pompeo emphasized the importance of emotional intelligence, particularly among leaders. “women ‘[have] this emotional intelligence’…we’re dealing with a lot of low emotional intelligence and ego,” she noted.

Kerry Washington posted a series of photos on Instagram featuring women she met at a protest. She captioned the images, “#NoKingsjust some QUEENS 😍 I found marching, speaking up, and fighting for Democracy.”

“We need more women in power and more women in leadership. These guys are all so angry…chill the f-k out.”
– Ellen Pompeo

Singer Gracie Abrams and her mother also participated in the New York rally. A photo shared by Pop Base showed them holding a sign with a quote attributed to Desmond Tutu: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Jimmy Kimmel attended a rally in San Francisco with his parents. He shared on Instagram, “A huge, inspiring and yes – peaceful – turnout in the South Bay.I met many people who love this country and still believe it to be a force for good… I am grateful to see so many Americans take action to stand up for our friends and neighbors, most of all, my parents.”

Moby posted a video of himself at a protest, writing, “No kings. We need to do everything we can to protect democracy: protest, donate, post, run for office, vote, organize. Also now is absolutely not the time for any in-fighting.”

Other celebrities, including Ayo Edebiri, Gina Rodriguez-LoCicero, Mary elizabeth Ellis, Kathy Griffin, and Glenn Close, shared content from various protests on their Instagram Stories.

Background on the “No Kings” Protests