Outrage after Meta suspends No Kings Instagram account during protests | 2026 US midterm elections

Coalition leaders behind the nationwide pro-democracy protests that have drawn millions of Americans to the streets in recent years were left frustrated when their Instagram account was temporarily shut down during their latest demonstration Saturday.

The narrative of the No Kings movement remained in the dark for several hours as protests aimed at increasing early voter turnout were underway, sparking fears of censorship.

Meta apologized Saturday and blamed the account’s temporary suspension on an automated action triggered “when accounts post, share, or comment at very high frequency.”

“Unfortunately, this automated action was clearly taken in error,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X. “Everything is now working as it should and we sincerely apologize.”

“We have regained access to our accounts, but Meta still owes us an explanation,” the No Kings Coalition posted on its Instagram page on Sunday. “Restricting communications regarding voting in the middle of an election is unacceptable. »

Organizers remained skeptical of Meta’s explanation that high-frequency posts triggered an automated response, and said members “only posted a handful of times and livestreamed to thousands of people.”

Senator Bernie Sanders also voiced his concerns on Sunday, saying that “billionaire media ownership” led to the suspension of the No Kings account.

Despite the technical glitch, hundreds of planned events continued. At Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, a band played to a few hundred people in caps and coats, many of whom were dancing and holding signs saying “VOTE EARLY” and “TOUCH MY VOTE!” »

In Atlanta, City Councilman Michael Julian Bond told the crowd: “The Constitution gives you a power, right? It’s the power to vote. Are you going to use that power?”

On the streets of downtown Los Angeles, protesters carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the sweltering heat and a group followed them on a rolling stage, the New York Times reported; the crowd cheered calls to abolish ICE and pass California’s billionaires tax.

The No Kings movement began last summer, in response to a wide range of concerns about federal layoffs, immigration enforcement and foreign wars. The protests have continued to address a wide range of issues and generally draw on anti-Trump fervor.

This year’s focus on voting ahead of the midterm elections is partly due to the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Voting Rights Act, as well as fears that Trump will once again sow chaos by baselessly questioning the election results.

No Kings organizers said they planned to recruit volunteers at Saturday’s events to mobilize in case of “election sabotage,” Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, a progressive group that helps organize No Kings events, previously told the Guardian.