PITTSBURGH — You may remember the No Kings protest from this past June, when thousands of people gathered at the City-County building in Pittsburgh.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Protesters gather in Pittsburgh’s Freedom Corner for ‘No Kings’ protest
On Saturday, there will be a repeat of that protest, and another one scheduled for Allegheny Commons Park.
“We will have extra law enforcement around. Police, fire, EMS, additional units will be on standby and staging in areas,” said Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt.
>>> PHOTOS: Thousands of people gather for No Kings protests across Western Pennsylvania <<<
Schmidt told Channel 11 that he has been in communication with the protest organizers, which he says is helpful.
“If groups are willing to reach out to us, and at least give us some information, even if it’s just a contact person and the number of people they’re expecting, our main goal is to make sure everyone is safe and respect everyone’s rights,” Schmidt said.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> 10 Pittsburgh area communities prepare for ‘No Kings’ protest
Around 5,000 people are expected to participate in the protests, and Schmidt says if they choose to march, officers will help direct them.
“If the protestors choose to march, we will work with them on routes to do that. We will have officers stationed throughout doing patrols and increasing the presence,” Schmidt said.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh-area communities join national ‘No Kings’ movement
The department is also prepared for the possibility of counterprotestors.
“There’s always opportunity for counter-protests to occur. We try to manage both groups and work with both groups, to make sure they get to exercise their rights in a safe and peaceful manner,” Schmidt said.
In addition to the demonstrations in the city, there will be other protests in Uniontown, Beaver and Greensburg.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
