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Thousands filled the grass at Independence National Historical Park, chanting “No Kings” and referencing Philadelphia’s revolutionary history while decrying President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions in the past three months.

The Philadelphia gathering was one of hundreds planned nationwide led by the 50501 Movement, a grassroots network of organizers whose name stands for “50 protests in 50 states, one movement.”

Philadelphia’s rally leaned heavily into the city’s lore and history. A person dressed in a Gritty suit held up a QR code with information on speakers’ names, and the Positive Movement Drumline accompanied rally-goers when they marched several blocks around Old City. With Independence Hall as a backdrop, several attendees came in colonial attire as speakers drew parallels to the Founding Fathers’ fight against the British monarchy and what many people described as the “lawlessness” of the Trump administration.

“I’m here because I feel like the democracy that we all cherish and learned about from childhood on up is at risk,” said Anthony Camp, 74, a retired physician who lives in King of Prussia. “I’m here because the current head of our government is doing things that are dangerous for all of the population and for the world, and I think he’s got to be stopped.”

Several protesters told WHYY News they are outraged over the administration’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego García to El Salvador, where the legal U.S. resident remains. Trump continues to defy the U.S. Supreme Court ruling mandating Abrego Garcia’s return to his Maryland home.

Kim Jordan, 45, of Fishtown, said “it is terrifying” that the administration is “just kidnapping and trafficking people and ignoring the courts, doing away with due process and the rule of law, and not paying attention to their oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution.”

“It is really worrying that this is happening,” she said, “from graduate students who are having their visas pulled away, to people who have immigrated and who are legally here, and to have the government say, ‘Whoops, we made a mistake and we can’t get them back.’ That’s preposterous.”

The crowd erupted into cheers of “Bring him home” as Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of HIAS Pennsylvania, spoke about Abrego Garcia, the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil and the shuttering of the country’s refugee resettlement program. HIAS, which stands for “Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society,” was founded more than 100 years ago to aid Jewish refugees and now helps refugees of all backgrounds.

“We have Kilmar Abrego Garcia disappeared, no charges, no evidence, and then the White House has the nerve to just continue the lie,” she said.

The detention of Khalil, a green card holder who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, is also a violation of due process and First Amendment rights, Miller-Wilson said.

“I’m a Jew. My agency is Jewish. This is not done to protect Jews,” she said. “This is done to expand power and abuse.”

Other key issues speakers touched on included racial justice, the administration’s inaction on climate change, cuts spurred by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and a call for “hands off” Social Security and other government programs.

For many protesters and speakers, the stakes are high, they said.

“I believe this is nothing but the start of Nazi Germany,” said Linda Briggs, of Roxborough. “If you know the history of Nazi Germany, what happened, how things started off, this is a mirror image of that. So that’s why I’m out here.”

For Caitlin Magdalinski, 36, the only option to change the administration’s course is to continue to attend protests and speak out.

“I think that if we sit at home and do nothing, it’s like a sign of it’s okay and it’s not okay,” she said. “So I hope that out of this protest, this march and all the other ones, more people will know we’re not okay with this. We’re not going to sit at home, we’re not going to be afraid, we’re not going to let him disappear people and make him feel like he’s winning. He’s not. He’s going to lose, and we’re going to show him that he’s going to lose.”

Jamir Green, 27, of South Philly, stressed the importance of continued protest.

“I think that this is the only way, now, at this point, to really make sure that we’re getting our voices heard and we’re getting the things that we need done in government,” he said. “Otherwise, we’re just going to be stuck scrolling forever.”

Anne Gaheb, 70, a retired teacher who lives in Glenside, said Saturday’s turnout was “fabulous.” She hopes this protest “moves the needle.”

“Sometimes, when Trump is pushed, he will give in. So I’m hoping that many, many numbers, get him to give in on some things,” she said.

Other protesters said they hope the turnout also makes an impact on Democratic Party leaders.

Jordan, who is also a Democratic committee person, said her neighbors tell her that “they feel that the party is not listening to them.”

“I’m not sure why they seem to be so slow to act and so confused, because there was literally a plan published about all of these things that are happening. Project 2025, there was a playbook that we knew was going to get put into place, so they had a whole laundry list of things that they could know about and have prepared to talk about,” she said.

State Rep. Chris Rabb was the only local elected official invited to speak at the Philly protest Saturday.

“I haven’t heard anything from the city Democratic Party,” Jordan said. “Maybe they’re saying something, and at the federal level, you know, Cory Booker did his record-breaking speech, and then they went around and they voted for another Trump nominee. So, like, why? Why do you try to tell us this is a catastrophe, and then you just don’t do everything you can to stop it? There are things that they could be doing and they’re not doing, and they just seem lost and confused, and it’s really frustrating.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that HIAS, which stands for “Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society,” was founded more than 100 years ago.