LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The “No Kings” protests may bill themselves as grassroots uprisings, but a closer look shows something a little more organized – and a lot more well- funded. According to an investigation by Fox News Digital, more than 500 groups tied to the broader protest movement collectively pulls in an estimated $3 billion in annual revenue. That doesn’t mean every dollar funds protests – but it does undercut the idea that the No Kings protests against President Donald Trump are organic, spontaneous outrage.
A Grand Rapids connection.
In Grand Rapids, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told supporters to gather at Rosa Parks Circle on Saturday, March 28, as part of an “Anti-Trump Contingent,” signaling that this wasn’t just a crowd showing up – it was a coordinated showing.
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Fox News reported that FRSO activists “have previously led aggressive demonstrations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis. The group has an image on Instagram, using an upside-down triangle symbol that Hamas used to mark targets during attacks in Israel.” Fox News also highlighted one of their messages that said, “Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, it’s the time to go out and join the people, get our revolutionary message in front of them, and turn a day of protest into long-term gains for the people’s movements.”
Revolutionary roll call.
FRSO’s website shows that they are against the war in Iran, anti-ICE, anti-capitalist, pro-trans and pro-labor. They also call themselves an “organization of revolutionaries.”
FRSO often works alongside other groups in the area including: Kent County Indivisible, Grand Rapids Alliance, GVSU Progressive Student Union, Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, SPARC MI (socialist/activist network), Unite & Resist Grand Rapids, and labor groups like IATSE Local 26.
FRSO isn’t alone in their coordination, however. Anti-Trump events in Michigan bring together a mix of activist groups all over the state, including local Indivisible chapters, progressive student organizations, labor unions, and issue-based coalitions.
Follow the money.
Many of these organizations are part of national networks with established fundraising pipelines, paid staff, and year-round political operations. In other words, the signs that the protesters hold may look handmade, but the infrastructure is anything but. And although each group brings its own messaging and reasons for opposing President Trump, many of them share logistics, turnout efforts and timing.
Protests with a blueprint.
None of this makes the protests “illegitimate.” But it does make them predictable and well-orchestrated. What looks like a spontaneous uprising is, in reality, a well-practiced coalition model: national coordination, local organizers, and ideological groups showing up on cue. “No Kings,” it turns out, actually comes with a pretty structured chain of command. Just like real monarchy.
