'No Kings' Protests Planned In Somerset County This Weekend: Here’s Where

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Another round of "No Kings" protests will be taking place across the nation this weekend, including in Somerset County. But this time there's a new twist: they're not about Donald Trump, organizers say.

No Kings rallies will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at:

• Somerset County Courthouse, 20 N Bridge St, Somerville, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• The Franklin Township Community Gazebo, 475 Demott Ln, Franklin Township, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• U.S. 22 & West End Avenue, North Plainfield, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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The demonstrations are being organized independently by local advocates and community members. Dozens of national groups and nonprofits are supporting the events as partners.

This weekend's protests will be the fourth round of No Kings demonstrations since President Donald Trump took office for his second term. Millions of people attended the previous protests, which put a spotlight on the Trump administration.

Now, demonstrators are rallying around a different cause: turning out voters for the 2026 election.

The "No Kings: Vote Early" events on Oct. 17 are focused on voter registration and education about early voting. Instead of marches and chanting about Donald Trump, expect to see block parties, cookouts and poll walks.

Organizers say that despite a heavy contingent of progressive and Democratic Party voters and politicians at previous No Kings protests, this weekend's events will be "nonpartisan" and are intended to increase participation from all eligible voters – including Republicans, third-parties and independents.

"A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disobedience," organizers add. "We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events."

"The energy that brought a thousand people into the streets since we first organized No Kings in June 2025 hasn't faded — it's sharpened," said Erika Malinoski, co-president of SOMA Action, which is organizing an event this weekend in North Jersey.

"We've marched. We've rallied. Now we're channeling all of that into the single most powerful act of democratic participation there is: voting," Malinoski said.

— With reporting by Eric Kiefer