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Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation鈥檚 capital and communities big and small across the U.S. for 鈥淣o Kings鈥� demonstrations that the president鈥檚 Republican Party disparaged as 鈥淗ate America鈥� rallies.

With signs such as 鈥淣othing is more patriotic than protesting鈥� or 鈥淩esist Fascism,鈥� in many places, the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution鈥檚 鈥淲e The People鈥� preamble that people could sign, and demonstrators wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

It was the since Mr. Trump鈥檚 return to the White House and came against the backdrop of a that not only has closed federal but is also testing the core balance of power, as an aggressive executive confronts in ways that protest organizers warn are a slide toward authoritarianism.

President Trump himself was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

鈥淭hey say they鈥檙e referring to me as a king. I鈥檓 not a king,鈥� the president said in a Fox News interview that aired early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club.

Later Friday, a Trump campaign social media account mocked the protests by posting a computer-generated video of the president clothed like a monarch, wearing a crown and waving from a balcony.

Nationwide demonstrations

People packed into New York City鈥檚 Times Square, Boston Common, and Chicago鈥檚 Grant Park; outside state capitols in Tennessee and Indiana, and a courthouse in Billings, Montana; and at hundreds of smaller public spaces. More than 2,600 rallies were planned on the day, organizers said.

Many protesters said that they were angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was 鈥減athetic.鈥�

鈥淭his is America. I disagree with their politics, but I don鈥檛 believe that they don鈥檛 love this country,鈥� Mr. Reymann said, carrying a large U.S. flag. 鈥淚 believe they are misguided. I think they are power-hungry.鈥�

More than 1,500 people gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, evoking and openly citing the city鈥檚 history of protests and the critical role it played in the Civil Rights Movement two generations ago.

鈥淚t just feels like we鈥檙e living in an America that I don鈥檛 recognize,鈥� said Jessica Yother, a mother of four. She and other protesters said they felt camaraderie by gathering in a state where Trump won nearly 65% of the vote last November.

鈥淚t was so encouraging,鈥� Ms. Yother said. 鈥淚 walked in and thought, 鈥楬ere are my people.鈥欌��

In San Francisco, hundreds of people spelled out 鈥淣o Kings鈥� and other phrases with their bodies on Ocean Beach. Salt Lake City demonstrators gathered outside the Utah State Capitol to share messages of after a during the city鈥檚 first 鈥淣o Kings鈥� march in June.

Organizers hope to build an opposition movement

鈥淏ig rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,鈥� Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

While protests earlier this year 鈥� and Mr. Trump鈥檚 鈥� drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining what organizers view as an antidote to Mr. Trump鈥檚 actions, from the administration鈥檚 clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

鈥淲e鈥檙e here because we love America,鈥� Senator Sanders said, addressing the crowd from a stage in Washington. He said the American experiment is 鈥渋n danger鈥� under President Trump. But he insisted, 鈥淲e the people will rule.鈥�

The national march against Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk this past spring had 1,300 registered locations, while the first 鈥淣o Kings鈥� day in June registered 2,100.

Republican critics denounce the demonstrations

Republicans sought to portray protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders called the protesters 鈥渃ommunists鈥� and 鈥淢arxists.鈥� They said Democratic leaders, including Senator Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut to appease those liberal forces.

鈥淚 encourage you to watch 鈥� we call it the Hate America rally 鈥� that will happen Saturday,鈥� said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

鈥淟et鈥檚 see who shows up for that,鈥� Mr. Johnson said, listing groups including 鈥渁ntifa types,鈥� people who 鈥渉ate capitalism,鈥� and 鈥淢arxists in full display.鈥�

Many demonstrators, in response, said they were meeting such hyperbole with humor, noting that Mr. Trump often leans heavily on theatrics such as claiming that cities he sends troops to are war zones.

鈥淪o much of what we鈥檝e seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,鈥� said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.

New York police reported no arrests during the city鈥檚 protests.

Democrats try to regain their footing amid shutdown

Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Senator Schumer, in particular, was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge President Trump.

鈥淲hat we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,鈥� said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a key organizing group. 鈥淭he worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.

Associated Press journalists Matt Brown, Lisa Mascaro, and Kevin Freking in Washington, Jill Colvin and Joseph Frederick in New York, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Chris Megerian in West Palm Beach, Florida, Bill Barrow in Birmingham, Alabama, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.