The right to protest has defined the United States of America since its founding. It was protest that led to the nation’s creation in the first place, and it lies at the heart of the Constitution’s First Amendment.

It seems that Donald Trump isn’t a big fan of this tradition. He has repeatedly suggested that media outlets reporting on him should be prosecuted, while his administration has taken steps to crack down on nonprofit organizations and others who demonstrate against him.

Last week, Trump put it bluntly while signing an executive order aimed at punishing anyone who chooses to protest by burning an American flag. “We took the freedom of speech away,” the president said.

This weekend, millions of Americans are expected to take to the streets across the nation to protest what many see as an increasingly oppressive administration. It will be the second widespread demonstration this year by the “No Kings” movement. The first occurred on June 14, coinciding with the president’s military parade in Washington, D.C., held on his birthday.

Republicans have labeled “No Kings” protesters as antifa extremists and anti-American “terrorists.” However, few things are more patriotic than exercising one’s right to free speech in opposition to authoritarian rule.

“We want to be out there carefully, peacefully speaking our minds,” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen—one of the organizations participating in the protest—told Rolling Stone this week. “The one thing we cannot be in this moment is cowed by what [Trump] is threatening, and we won’t be bullied into fear and silence in this moment.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/no-kings-playlist-anti-authoritarian-songs-protests-1235449753/