On October 18, according to media reports, the United States was plunged into an unprecedented "protest feast", initially predicted by scholars "three million rallies", and eventually with more than seven million walked out to the streets, setting a record in the scale of American modern history single-day protests.
From tens of thousands of people shouting in Times Square in new york to thousands of people outside the embassy in London, from the dilemma of people's livelihood caused by the government shutdown to the tense public opinion war between the two parties, this "anti-king" movement completely tore open the social rift under Trump's administration.
Just as the nationwide demonstration was booming, Trump himself was hiding in the mansion, and his response caused much more controversy.
Seven million people in the United States lift the table against Trump
Protest slogans sounded in Times Square in New York that day. Tens of thousands of people held slogans saying "The Constitution does not support the King" and "Trump steps down" and marched from Broadway to City Hall.
According to real-time statistics from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Political Science, more than 2,600 protests in the United States covered 87% of states and counties. In addition to big cities such as new york and Chicago, rallies also took place in remote areas such as Anchorage, Alaska and Honolulu, Hawaii.
The protests led to a 18-day federal government shutdown, with 800,000 federal employees in the United States forced to take unpaid leave, 62% of which concentrated in health, education and social security.
The shutdown also triggered a chain reaction, the closure of the National Zoo caused tourists to feed the panda "Michan", the Congress Library digital resource repository service was suspended, and flights were delayed in 139 airports in the United States due to lack of air traffic control personnel, with an average delay of more than 2 hours.
More seriously, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the approval of new drugs, and the launch of three anti-cancer drugs has been delayed, affecting more than 100,000 patients.
The essence of the shutdown is the Trump administration's budget game with Congress, where Trump asked Congress to pass the "immigration law enforcement special budget", after being vetoed by the Democrat-led Senate, the White House refused to sign the regular budget bill, directly leading to government shutdown.
Even more controversial is the Trump administration’s outright push for a “federal agency refinement plan,” despite media reports that the first 4,200 people have been dismissed, but some mainstream media say “the data has not been officially confirmed,” and currently confirms only 32 federal agencies have frozen recruitment.
Trump’s “evasive response” has caused a big wave.
As the main target of the protests, Trump did not stay in Washington on the same day, but went to Sea Lake Mansion in Florida for a weekend.
In an interview with Fox News on the evening of October 18, he responded for the first time to the slogan "Against the King", "They say I am the King?I am not the King.
However, Trump’s lightweight response has been viewed by protesters as “averting the issue.”
This protest of more than 7 million people is reminiscent of major social movements in American history.
In 1963, Martin Luther King’s “March to Washington” prompted the passing of the Civil Rights Act, and in 1970 the anti-Vietnam march accelerated the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, which was characterized by a “cross-class, cross-racial unity movement.”
Among the protesters, some are federal employees who have been damaged by the shutdown, and others are ethnic minorities who are worried about immigration policies. This diverse participation structure gives the protest stronger cohesion and makes it more likely to promote institutional change.
Can the voice of seven million people awaken American democratic consensus?
This protest, which lasted for more than ten hours, was not only a public opinion protest against the Trump administration, but also a "war to defend" the American democratic system.
Trump may not be the king, but his policies are moving the United States towards "king-like rule", which may be what many Americans can't tolerate.
When the candlelight of protest and the lights of the Capitol complement each other, a question is placed in front of all Americans. How to protect the spirit of the Constitution at a time when power is unbalanced and society is torn? The cry of 7 million people may just be the beginning of this "* Defense War".