Nationwide 'No Kings' Rallies with 12 Million Participants Highlight Millions in City Service Costs

Mike Netter, a public commentator, recently highlighted the substantial financial burden associated with organizing large public rallies, particularly when factoring in essential city services. His commentary comes amidst reports of two nationwide "No Kings" rallies that collectively drew an estimated 12 million participants, underscoring the significant resources required for such large-scale demonstrations.

Netter stated that the cost to host a public rally for 1,000 people in a major city can range from "$1,000 to over $20,000, and potentially much higher if city services like police overtime are factored in." This observation is supported by numerous instances where cities have incurred millions in expenses. For example, New York City spent $115 million on police overtime in a two-week period during protests in 2020, while Los Angeles faced $40 million in similar costs.

The "No Kings" rallies, organized by groups like the Indivisible Project, were held in June and October 2025, primarily to protest what organizers described as President Donald Trump’s "authoritarian" agenda. The June event saw over 5 million participants across more than 2,100 cities, with a subsequent October rally drawing nearly 7 million, bringing the combined total to approximately 12 million people nationwide. These demonstrations were largely peaceful, with participants expressing concerns over democracy, immigration policies, and federal program cuts.

The immense scale of these protests places considerable strain on municipal budgets. Cities frequently deploy extra officers, incurring significant overtime costs, as seen in Chicago, which spent $22.6 million on police overtime for special events in one year, with only a fraction reimbursed. Albuquerque, New Mexico, also sought over $211,000 from a Trump campaign rally for police overtime and city employee paid time off, highlighting ongoing debates over who bears the financial responsibility for security and services at such events.

The sheer volume of participants in the "No Kings" rallies has led some supporters to reference the "3.5% rule," a political concept suggesting that sustained participation by 3.5% of a population can lead to major policy changes. With the U.S. population around 345 million, 12 million participants approach this theoretical threshold, indicating the significant public engagement and potential influence of these mass demonstrations on the political landscape.