Thousands of "No Kings" protesters took to the streets across the country on Saturday for a "nationwide day of action," timed to coincide with the start of early voting in many states. Because nothing says civic engagement like a coordinated march reminding people that calendars exist.

The No Kings Coalition, which has made a habit of organizing country-wide protest days denouncing President Trump and his administration's policies, announced the Oct. 17 day of action last month as a coordinated effort to boost early voting mobilization. In Washington, D.C., protesters marched from the White House to the U.S. Capitol carrying a banner reading "Your vote is your voice." Others held signs declaring "Pro-American, anti-Trump" and "Hands off my vote." Subtlety, as ever, was not on the agenda.

In Dallas, Texas, Teresa Cox, a representative of the local civic engagement group Texas Organizing Project, urged Texas voters to cast ballots during the early voting period, which kicks off in the Lone Star State on Monday. "Voting is one of the most important ways we participate in our democracy, so learn about the issues, research the candidates and make your own informed decisions because your vote belongs to you," she told the crowd, according to a feed shared by local outlet ABC8. "Not a political party, not an organization, not anybody standing behind a microphone, but you," she continued. "We must continue showing up, asking questions, educating our neighbors and holding our institutions accountable because democracy isn't something we practice every few years; it's something we participate in every day." A radical notion, admittedly.

At an Atlanta rally, city council member Michael Julian Bond encouraged the crowd to exercise their civic duty during Georgia's early voting period, which runs from Oct. 13-30. "The biggest lie that's been told recently is that Election Day is in November. No, Election Day is early voting," he said in a speech shared on the No Kings Coalition's website. "Every day of early voting is Election Day." Someone should probably tell the calendar industry.

The protest movement has been busy. In March, over 3,000 "No Kings" demonstrations were held across the country in response to the Trump administration's decision to begin military operations against Iran. And at two nationwide organizing days last year, organizers said around five million people turned out last June and seven million came out last October to protest the Trump administration. Which is a lot of people, by any metric, even the ones that don't involve banners.