Organizers of the "No Kings" rallies that swept across the nation June 14 said the protests drew large crowds that marched against theTrump administration. The American Civil Liberties Union, a part of the coalition that put on the demonstrations, said in a late Saturday, June 14 statement thatmore than five million people participatedin over 2,100 rallies and protests. Political organizing group Move On, who wasa partner in the "No Kings" rallies, echoed the 5 million person estimate in a fundraising email. Jeremy Pressman, the co-director of theCrowd Counting Consortium– a Harvard University and University of Connecticut project that estimates political crowds – told USA TODAY June 15 that it will take "some time" to complete an estimate on the "No Kings" rallies. The Los Angeles Times reported that "tens of thousands" of people demonstrated in the city roiled by Trump's recent immigration enforcement. The New York Post reported that50,000 people showed upin New York City, wherePresident Donald Trumpwas born. "Today's protests are a resounding message that people across the nation will not be intimidated byPresident Trump's fear tactics," ACLU Chief Political & Advocacy Officer Deirdre Schifeling said in the statement. "Americans are brave, democracy loving people and will not sit idly by as the Trump administration feeds our Constitution into the shredder — nor will the ACLU." The mostly calm marches, organized under the theme that no individual is above the law, coincided with the day Trump presided over amilitary parade on the streets of the nation's capital. A demonstration in Northern Virginia, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C., was met with violence when a man intentionallydrove an SUVthrough a crowd of departing protesters, striking at least one person,police said. Police in Los Angeles hit protesters with batons, fired tear gas andordered a large crowd in downtown to disperse; authorities said they were responding to people throwing "rocks, bricks, bottles," and "fireworks" at officials. In Minnesota, organizers canceled protests across the state out of an abundance of caution after a shootertargeted local lawmakers, killing one and her spouse at their home and injuring another lawmaker and his spouse at their residence. In a statement, the "No Kings" group said it was adhering to guidance from Minnesota State Patrol and Gov.Tim Walz, who urged people not to attend any rallies Saturday. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Sarah D. Wire, Jeanine Santucci, Jonathan Limehouse, Jay Calderon, Brian Day, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Large crowds attended 'No Kings' rallies: Organizers
