Tens of thousands gathered across the Bay Area on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings Day” protests, opposing the Trump administration on his 79th birthday. The demonstrations, potentially the largest in U.S. history, coincided with Trump's military parade in DC.
In San Francisco, protesters assembled at Dolores Park and marched through Market Street to Civic Center, where leaders from the Democratic Party, civil rights groups, and veterans spoke. As the Chronicle reports, the American Civil Liberties Union provided “know your rights” trainings.
Earlier in the day, hundreds gathered at Ocean Beach to form an iconic "No King!" human banner organized by local activists Brad Newsham and Travis Van Brasch, as reported by SFGate.
In Oakland, thousands rallied at City Hall, joined by Mayor Barbara Lee and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who denounced Trump’s authoritarian immigration policies and called for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Demonstrators voiced disappointment with Democrats’ lack of aggression against Trump and emphasized the importance of continued activism.
According to KGO, about 3,000 protestors, including Oakland’s W. Kamau Bell, rallied in Dublin in opposition of ICE potentially turning the former federal prison there into a detention facility.
In the South Bay, about 20,000 participants created a 7-mile human chain between Tesla showrooms in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, far surpassing expectations. The rally highlighted frustration with Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles against immigration protests and called for radical unity.
Later, thousands gathered at Palo Alto’s Rinconada Park for a Democracy Fair offering music, arts and crafts, and workshops on issues like climate change and abortion bans. Speakers included Rep. Sam Liccardo, retired judge LaDoris Cordell, and Stanford professor Larry Diamond. Folk singer Joan Baez closed the event with poetry and songs, urging activists to keep fighting.
Elsewhere, protests in Los Angeles drew thousands who marched past National Guard and Marine troops stationed at federal buildings, with some confrontations erupting when police on horseback forcefully began clearing the street after the formal rally. Veterans, families, and activists voiced deep concerns over troop deployments and aggressive immigration raids.
Last but certainly not least, one lone protestor showed up and made his voice heard in his small, ultra-conservative South Carolina town.
Nationwide, event organizers estimate over 5 million people protested across the country, potentially eclipsing previous records.
Below, more images from the protest in San Francisco.
Top Image: Raul Sanchez/SFist
Previously: ‘No Kings’ Protests Set to Rabble-Rouse In SF and Nationwide Saturday During Trump’s Military Parade
