Buffalo, New York – Monday, October 20, 2025
The “No Kings” movement — a sweeping national protest for democracy and against authoritarianism — has reached Highmark Stadium. But this time, the voice that captured the nation didn’t belong to a politician or celebrity. It came from Buffalo Bills owner
Terry Pegula.
On Saturday, October 18, over 7 million Americans took to the streets across all 50 states under the banner “No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns”, challenging what they see as President Donald Trump’s growing authoritarian behavior. In Buffalo, thousands of Bills fans gathered outside Highmark waving blue and red flags and holding signs that read
“Freedom Over Fear” and “No Kings in Buffalo.”
What began as a joyful celebration following the Bills’ dominant 34–10 win over the Patriots turned into a rally for unity and democracy. That’s when Terry Pegula appeared — unexpectedly stepping out from the stadium’s west tunnel after a postgame meeting. Instead of heading straight to his car,
he walked into the crowd.
Witnesses say he took a fan’s megaphone, paused for a moment, and delivered a message that instantly went viral:
“In Buffalo, we’ve always believed in something bigger than ourselves — teamwork, community, and heart. Democracy is built on the same things. No one man wins alone, not in football, not in America. We don’t have kings here — just people who fight for one another.”
Within minutes, videos of his impromptu speech flooded X and TikTok under the hashtags #NoKingsInBuffalo and #BillsStandTogether, reaching millions of views overnight. One fan wrote:
“When your NFL owner says more truth in 30 seconds than most politicians say in a year — that’s Buffalo.”
Political commentators from across the spectrum reacted quickly. Progressive voices praised Pegula’s words as “a bold defense of democracy and American values.” Meanwhile, conservative analysts accused him of “mixing politics with sports.”
A source close to the Bills organization clarified that Pegula hadn’t planned to speak at all. “He was just moved by what he saw,” the source said. “This wasn’t political — it was personal. The Bills have always stood for community, resilience, and equality. That’s what he was defending.”
The “No Kings” demonstrations, organized by more than 200 civic groups including MoveOn and Indivisible, marked the largest single-day protest in U.S. history, spanning from New York and Washington D.C. to Los Angeles and Seattle.
By Sunday night, the lights of Highmark Stadium glowed deep red and blue, matching the colors worn by protesters nationwide — a symbol of unity beyond politics.
And in Buffalo, the movement became something greater than a protest. It became a reflection of what the city has always stood for —
leadership without ego, loyalty without power, and strength without thrones.
As one Bills fan said while leaving the rally:
“In Washington, they talk about control. In Buffalo, we just believe in each other.”
