Wetin di US 'No Kings' protest against Trump dey about?

Large crowd dey take part for di "No Kings" protests against President Donald Trump policies for cities across di US, including New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.

Thousands dey around New York City iconic Times Square and streets all around, pipo dey hold signs wit slogans like "Democracy not Monarchy" and "The Constitution is not optional".

Ahead of di demonstrations, Trump allies accuse di protesters say dem get link wit di far-left Antifa movement, and condemn wetin dem dey call "di-hate America rally".

Several US states don mobilise di National Guard. But organisers tok say di events, wey nearly seven million pipo attend, dey peaceful.

Since returning to di White House in January, Trump don expand di scope of presidential power, e don use executive orders to dismantle parts of di federal govment and to deploy National Guard troops to US cities despite objections by state govnors.

E also don call on di administration top law enforcement officials to prosecute im perceived enemies.

Di president tok say im actions dey necessary to rebuild di kontri crisis and e don dismiss accusations say im dey behave like dictator or fascist as hysterical.

But critics warn some of di moves by his administration as unconstitutional and threat to American democracy.

For one interview wit Fox News, wey go air on Sunday, Trump appear to address di rallies.

"A king! Dis no be act," Trump tok dis one for di preview clip of interview. "You know – say dem dey refer to me as a king. I no be king."

For New York, sections of di crowd begin sing of "Dis na wetin democracy look like" as one near-constant drumbeatv dey boom for background.

Helicopters and drones dey fly overhead, and police stand on di sidelines.

Di New York Police Department tok say more dan 100,000 pipo don gada across all five of di city boroughs, and say dem no arrest any one becos of di protest.

For Times Square, one police officer say estimated ova 20,000 pipo dey march down 7th Avenue.

Beth Zasloff, one freelance writer and editor, tok say she join di New York protest becos she dey feel outraged and distress at "di move toward fascism and authoritarian govment" wey dey happun under di Trump administration.

"I care a lot about New York City," she tok.

"E dey give me hope to dey out hia wit many, many oda pipo."

Massimo Mascoli, na 68-year-old retired electronic engineer and resident of New Jersey wey grow up in Italy, e tok say im dey protest becos e dey concerned di US dey follow di same path as im home kontri in di last century.

Mascoli tok say im dey particularly worried about di Trump administration immigration crackdown and healthcare cut for millions of Americans.

"We no fit count on di Supreme Court, we n o fit count on di govment," e tell di BBC.

"We no fit count on di Congress. We get all di legislative, di executive and judiciary dem dey all against di American pipo right now. So we dey fight am."

In Washington, DC, wia dem don deploy di National Guard guard since August at Trump request, no troops dey visible at di protest, either.

One protester at di rally in di capital hold up one sign"I be Antifa".

Chuck Epes, 76, tok say "loaded" term, and just mean say e support "peace, daycare, liveable wage, healthcare", as well as immigrants and pipo of colour.

"E dey gaslight everybody - or trying to, and e no dey work," e tok.

Democratic politicians join di protests around di kontri.

"We no get dictators for America. And we no go allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer write on X alongside fotos of imself as e dey hold up sign that read "fix di health care crisis" for New York.

In Washington DC, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders deliver one keynote speech.

"We no dey here becos we hate America, we dey here becos we love America," e tell thousands of crowd.

Democratic senators Cory Booker and Adam Schiff also post videos of demselves attending protests, thanking Americans for showing up across di kontri.

"Dis na wetin democracy look like. Thank you all of America for speaking out," Schiff tok.

Senator Chris Murphy share footage of di big turnout for im home state of Connecticut: "Breathtaking. Dis na why today go likely go down as di biggest day of peaceful protest in our nation 250 year history."

Republican govnors in several US states don place National Guard troops on standby ahead of di protests.

Di move denounce by Democrats, including di state top Democrat Gene Wu, wey argue say: "Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests na wetin kings and dictators do - and Greg Abbott just prove say e be one of dem."

Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin also order di state National Guard to dey active, though local reports tok say troops no dey present during di protest.

Di protests no be only for di US.

Throughout Europe, demonstrations also happun for Berlin, Madrid and Rome as pipo show solidarity wit dia American counterparts. In London, several hundred protesters gada outside di US embassy.

Similar scenes dey in Toronto, wia demonstrators near di US consulate wave signs including "Hands off Canada".

Americans dey deeply divided on Donald Trump.

One recent Reuters/Ipsos poll find say dat only 40% approve im performance as president, while 58% disapprove. Dis puts am about on par wit di average approval rating during im first term, but lower dan im 47% approval rating wen e bin take office for di second time in January.

E dey common for presidents to become more unpopular as dia term wears on. Joe Biden get 55% approval rating, according to Reuters/Ipsos, in January 2021. By October of dat year, im approval don decline to 46%.

Wit additional reporting by Ana Faguy