Episcopal bishops were among the thousands who participated in the “No Kings” protests that swept across the United States on June 14.
The coordinated demonstrations—branded as the No Kings Day of Defiance—coincided with former President Donald Trump's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary military parade in Washington, D.C.
The “No Kings” movement is a grassroots protest campaign aimed at defending democratic principles, resisting authoritarianism, and rejecting what organizers describe as growing executive overreach in the United States. The name references the founding American ideal of rejecting monarchy and centralized power, with protestors calling for a recommitment to constitutional checks and balances.
According to The Living Church, several Episcopal clergy who took part in the rallies emphasized concerns about threats to democracy and the moral responsibility of faith leaders to speak out.
Bishop Betsey Monnot of Iowa stated on Facebook that her presence at the rally was “so very not radical,” describing it instead as an affirmation of democratic values. She noted that democracy is reflected in both the Pledge of Allegiance and the Baptismal Covenant.
“Episcopalians promise to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. We promise to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves,” she wrote. “We simply cannot be silent about this.” During the protest, Bishop Monnot carried a sign reading, “Liberty and Justice for All,” in red, white, and blue.
Bishop Kara Wagner Sherer of the Diocese of Rochester in New York attended a local rally alongside Roman Catholic nuns and fellow Episcopalians.
“I was going as a Christian, an Episcopal bishop, to support the folks I knew from the diocese who were present,” she said. “As Christians, we proclaim that only Jesus is Lord. We don’t want other people proclaiming themselves as lord and king.”
Other participating clergy included Bishop Julia Whitworth of Massachusetts and the Rev. Liz Steinhauser, a priest from the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. Rev. Steinhauser attended a Boston rally with approximately 300 Episcopalians.
In Salinas, California, Bishop Lucinda Ashby of the Diocese of El Camino Real joined more than 1,000 demonstrators. She shared a photo from the event on social media. The protest in Salinas took on added significance as the city’s majority-Hispanic population has been directly affected by recent ICE raids, some of which led to violent confrontations.
The “No Kings” movement reports that over 2,000 protests were held across all 50 states. The demonstrations followed several days of unrest in response to a surge in immigration enforcement actions in the Los Angeles area.
Organizers have outlined two primary demands: to uphold the Constitution and to end the consolidation of executive power viewed by critics as a threat to democratic governance.