City Hall is allowing anti-Trump demonstrators to rally Saturday but hasn’t yet approved a march through downtown streets.
A demonstrator (foreground) confronts a small group of Proud Boys near the Georgia Capitol during a “No Kings” protest to oppose Trump’s immigration policies, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Four months after the “No Kings” protest movement drew thousands of President Donald Trump critics into the streets across Georgia, organizers are venting their frustration at Atlanta City Hall ahead of a new round of demonstrations planned for this weekend.
The tension stems from the city’s decision not to yet approve a permit for a downtown march on Saturday. Instead officials approved a “stationary rally” in the parking lot of the Atlanta Civic Center that morning.
But some in the coalition of anti-Trump groups that make up “No Kings” say they’ll proceed with unsanctioned marches through city streets after that event.
“We feel morally obligated to march as we cannot let the political environment engineered by the current administration be successful in restraining Americans’ constitutional rights,” wrote the board of the grassroots group 50501 Georgia on Tuesday.
Organizers said they followed every requirement to hold a march but were still blocked by the city from proceeding.
The Trump administration has ordered National Guard troops to states with large Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office said the permit decision wasn’t influenced by those moves and had nothing to do with politics, but with security logistics.
They said organizers did not meet the security requirements needed for a march through downtown, which would likely require road closures and a larger police presence.
Dickens’ office shared correspondence with organizers over the last week, including a city request Monday for a “security coordinator” that’s required for large-scale events such as the proposed 1.5-mile march.
The coordinator must have a Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate from the state. Another email sent Tuesday said the permit is under “final review” after more changes requested by the city.
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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office said the permit decision had nothing to do with politics, but with security logistics. (Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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‘No Kings’
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Police advance on demonstrators during a protest on ICE raids and deportation arrests on Chamblee Tucker Road in Atlanta on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
