Millions of protestors gathered across the US on Saturday across thousands of events to protest against Donald Trump’s administration in a planned series of events called “No Kings”.

Organized by a coalition of groups, the demonstrations were largely peaceful, though they occurred on the same day Minnesota lawmakers were shot, and one killed, in political violence, and just a week after the federal government ordered military to descend on Los Angeles streets to quell protests there.

The Guardian spoke to dozens of protesters across the country about the mass demonstrations. Here is what they said.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Other people have the right to work hard and make a life for themselves when they come from a country where they can’t do that or are facing political oppression or are desperate,” he said.  “This is supposed to be the land of opportunity and a land built on immigrants.”

“It’s a perverse show of power, unnecessarily,” he said of Trump’s military parade in Washington. “For the most part, the administration is pushing forth an agenda and people have been asleep at the wheel.”

Major said that he was there to protest everything that Trump has done over the past several decades, “including not letting Black people rent his apartments in New York and arresting people for no reason just because they’re people of color”.

“Being a veteran during the Vietnam era, I know a couple of guys who died in combat to fight for the things that Trump is destroying now.”

“If you don’t stand up and make your voices heard, then change won’t happen,” Rusty said. “What he’s doing is shredding our constitution, our government.”

McGowan carried a sign with the names of the two lawmakers – Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman – and a red heart. He made it this morning after the news broke about the shootings. “We all know, for Americans, that democracy doesn’t come with a guarantee of safety, and that you fight for that kind of thing,” he said.