Countless individuals disheartened by President Donald Trump’s policies and apprehensive about the future of democracy in the U.S. gathered throughout Southern California on Saturday for the “No Kings” protests.
This third mass mobilization and the second national No Kings Day since Trump’s re-election comes against the backdrop of a federal government shutdown, contentious immigration enforcement, and a perceived drift toward authoritarianism.
Over 2,600 protests were scheduled nationwide in various cities, including numerous events in Southern California. One gathering in downtown San Bernardino, organized by a 14-year-old boy, attracted hundreds of attendees.
Organizers emphasized their hope for peaceful demonstrations that would highlight the country’s trajectory under Trump, even as many events featured a celebratory spirit, with musicians performing for crowds and participants wearing cartoonish, satirical costumes. Some Republican figures, however, referred to the protests as “Hate America” rallies.
In Torrance, approximately 4,000 individuals lined the streets and parking lots by City Hall on Saturday morning. Protesters waved American flags while holding signs that read, “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcomed here,” and “Respect my existence or expect my resistance.”
Katharine Nhyus from Indivisible South Bay, which organized the Torrance protest, urged attendees to support Prop. 50, California’s redistricting ballot proposition, aimed at benefiting Democrats in California’s congressional elections as a response to similar Republican initiatives elsewhere to bolster the GOP.
“The way we create change is by engaging in actions like this,” Nhyus told the enthusiastic crowd.
“From day one in January, LA has been a target of ICE, with masked agents detaining individuals from the streets, tearing families apart,” Nhyus expressed. “This is unacceptable, and for me, this remains the foremost issue in the South Bay – it’s one of the main reasons we declare, ‘No Kings.’”
“Standing up for the First Amendment is more crucial than ever,” Tom Tran, a 42-year-old resident of Lawndale, asserted. “If we don’t use our rights, we might lose them. It’s a daunting time in our society, and it’s vital to raise our voices.”
Klarysa, 47, a Palos Verdes resident, felt compelled to join the No Kings protest due to her past experiences in Poland as a teenager.
Klarysa, who opted not to disclose her last name, left Poland 23 years ago, but stated she notices parallels between what transpired there and the situation in the U.S. today.
“The degradation of rights is occurring across the system,” she remarked. “From women’s rights to education, to dismantling institutions and targeting judges.”
A gathering at Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach saw around 3,000 individuals by noon. The event remained peaceful with minimal police presence, and the crowds had mostly dispersed by 3 p.m.
As with other protests nationwide, some participants wore costumes, while many brought their dogs along.
Corey Leis was accompanied by Penelope, a poodle dressed as an “Antifa K-9 Unit.”
“I don’t think we’re more free, nor do I feel safe,” expressed Leis, a 39-year-old Long Beach resident. “Life seems to be getting more difficult for large segments of the population, particularly for vulnerable communities that live in fear. This doesn’t feel like America.”
Long Beach resident Louis Mestaz donned a “Cat in the Hat” costume.
“The Cat in the Hat is an eccentric character, and that’s what we’re witnessing in the White House right now,” Mestaz commented. His sign echoed Dr. Seuss: “No Not for Us. We’ll not have a king. Not at all. Not at all.”
TJ Hedin, another protester from Long Beach, stated this was his first No Kings rally. A PhD student at UCLA, Hedin voiced concerns regarding funding cuts and Trump’s hostility towards academia affecting his future career.
“The administration has exhibited numerous fascist traits with ICE’s actions, curtailing free speech, and targeting universities,” Hedin, 34, remarked. “It’s important for us to gather as a community and hopefully influence our elected officials indicating that we don’t endorse these actions.”
Nearby, Kristin G., a teacher with LAUSD who asked for anonymity, mentioned that she has observed enrollment declines due to fears of immigration enforcement among parents and students. Some families have even returned to their home countries.
“We are close to these children and their families,” she stated. “We have strong connections.”
She highlighted that protests like these serve as reminders that they are not alone.
“We are all in this together, regardless of our backgrounds,” she shared. “This feels like a united effort across the nation.”
Politicians at various rallies leveraged the local events to advocate for Prop. 50. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson appealed to the community to support the proposition and rally around “the principles and values of democracy.”
“If anything comes from this,” Richardson stated, “let’s set aside politics and focus on reopening the government. Furthermore, let’s ensure Long Beach backs Proposition 50 so we can restore balance in our government.”
As hundreds gathered in Huntington Beach, lawyers Susan Westover and Dale Giali appeared with large cutouts — Giali lifted one of Trump with words like “clownish” and “traitor,” while Westover held a cutout of Pam Bondi’s head under a sign reading, “Lying Lawless Despot.”
Both expressed that they were registered Republicans until Trump became the party’s nominee in 2016.
Westover remarked that the president’s “obvious hypocrisy” and “unconstitutionality” motivated their presence on Saturday, just as it did during the previous No Kings rally in Huntington Beach in June.
“There are many who resonate with our views,” Giali noted. “Let’s hold onto hope and reclaim our country.”
Approximately 300 protesters gathered outside City Hall in downtown San Bernardino on Saturday, organized by 14-year-old Andy Fuentes.
Normally, the intersection at 3rd and D Streets is quiet on weekends, but during the No Kings protest, the streets resonated with chants, music, cowbells, supportive honks from motorists, and cheers from the crowd.
“Since Donald Trump was reelected, I’ve been advocating for our rights,” Fuentes stated. “As a young individual, I recognize that I am the future, so this is a responsibility I must uphold.”
In Orange, several thousand gathered before noon at the intersection of Yorba and Chapman, near Chapman Global Medical Center. Traffic monitors attempted to manage the growing crowd.
Jon and Margaret Pendleton, 60, from Irvine, attended the rally in Santa Ana to voice their opposition to Trump’s administration. Jon, a history teacher, expressed concerns over free speech censorship pertaining to the press and civilians. Margaret, working in education, condemned the special education cuts as “reprehensible.”
“Future generations of children are going to suffer due to tax cuts for the wealthy,” she added.
Outside Pasadena City Hall, anticipation grew for the arrival of roughly 2,000 individuals. “We promote ‘love our neighbors as ourselves,’” declared Patrick Briggs, an organizer with San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible, addressing the enthusiastic protesters.
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, the son of immigrant parents, conveyed to the crowd that America represents more than a mere geographical location; it embodies a belief.
“We hold that everyone is equal, that we accept diversity, and value differing opinions,” Gordo stated. “We may disagree with certain views, but we will fervently defend the right to express them.”
An inflatable balloon of President Trump floated above the crowd assembled in front of Los Angeles City Hall, depicting Trump with an irate expression, dressed in a diaper with rainbow flags draped around his neck.
The crowd overflowed the street in front of City Hall into Gloria Molina Grand Park. Protesters displayed signs advocating for the release of Epstein documents, safeguarding democracy, and protesting fascism. They waved American flags, pride flags, Mexican flags, and anti-Trump banners while dancing along Grand Avenue, with bells ringing and tambourines jingling. Cars on the 101 freeway honked in support as the procession crossed the overpass.
Massive crowds swarmed the streets during June’s initial No Kings protest, which coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday. The June 14 demonstrations remained largely peaceful until clashes erupted between protesters and local law enforcement in downtown LA, resulting in officers using chemical irritants and flash-bang grenades against civilians.
On Saturday evening, ABC7 reported that a number of arrests occurred near the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility that processes ICE detainees, although immediate details were not available.
Hundreds of protesters had split off to gather at this facility once the No Kings march concluded.
The LAPD instructed the lingering crowd to disperse around 7 p.m., employing horses and police lines to push the remaining demonstrators northward along Alameda Street towards roughly Bauchet Street. The LAPD indicated that “agitators” were utilizing lasers and “industrial size” flashing lights against officers and a helicopter pilot.
Upon reaching Bauchet, officers persisted in ordering the dwindling crowd to disperse before ultimately retreating back to the detention center around 8:30 p.m., where the protest reaccumulated, though only about 50 participants remained by 10 p.m. when another dispersal order was issued.
After thousands gathered to peacefully express their constitutional 1st Amendment rights earlier, nearly a hundred agitators marched over to Aliso and Alameda. During the event there, lasers and industrial size flashing lights…
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) October 19, 2025
Earlier in the day, costumes were prevalent in downtown LA, with demonstrators sporting taco outfits, inflatable animal suits, and Trump masks.
Dani Vogt, a 55-year-old attorney, was among the many in taco costumes, stating her intention to dress humorously to challenge the image of protesters being cast as menacing. “We’re not scary, anti-American types,” she expressed.
Her taco costume served to mock “bullies,” rather than empowering them through derogatory labels. “By ridiculing them instead of elevating their power, we can hopefully diminish their influence,” she said, as she stood among other taco-clad protesters.
Following the march’s conclusion, a significantly smaller protest formed outside the federal detention center.
Demonstrators chanted “I don’t see no riot here, why are you in riot gear?” and “shame on ICE.” LAPD officers were equipped with less-lethal armaments and helmets, but did not don full riot gear as they oversaw the demonstration.
A clergy group formed the forefront of the protest.
“We’re part of the resistance, but we also have children and mothers here untrained for this situation,” remarked Guillermo Torres, director of immigration programming for Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.
Torres stood with protesters, draped in a tie-dyed, embroidered stole alongside other CLUE members.
The demonstrators at MDC highlighted their peaceful intentions, with some holding flowers while calling for an end to ICE operations in the city. The faces of individuals inside the federal facility could be seen watching from the windows.
At one of the first protests Saturday in the Inland Empire, over 200 attendees had gathered by 9:30 a.m. near Rancho Cucamonga City Hall, with the number growing to around 2,000 by the rally’s conclusion.
Some carried signs that exclaimed “Defend our Democracy” and “Protest while it’s still legal.” Motorists honked in support of the demonstrators at the busy intersection of Haven Avenue and Civic Center Drive, where organizers distributed upside-down U.S. flags and bottled water.
Octavio Zavala emphasized that as a former Marine, he joined the protest the same day Vice President J.D. Vance was scheduled to attend a training exhibition at Camp Pendleton in honor of the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
“I fought for this country and became a disabled veteran, to secure freedom and justice for all, ensuring that everyone thrives in the U.S.,” said the 78-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident.
At the Corona protest, resident Claudia Hernandez stressed the importance of advocating for her community, particularly as a queer, brown woman.
“Our collective strength lies in unity,” said Hernandez. “If we don’t stand up now, they could take away our democracy. We remain the United States of America; it’s the U.S. Constitution that rules, not a wannabe dictator.”
Trump, currently at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, responded, “They’re calling me a king. I’m not a king,” in a Fox News interview broadcast Friday, prior to attending a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests were anticipated nearby.
Republicans have attempted to frame participants in Saturday’s protests as outside the mainstream of American politics, attributing the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 18th day, to the rallies.
GOP leaders from the White House to Capitol Hill belittled attendees as “communists” and “Marxists.”
They argue that Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, are beholden to far-left elements and willing to maintain the government shutdown to accommodate those liberal factions.
“I urge you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — set for Saturday,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. stated.
“Let’s see who turns out for that,” Johnson stated, mentioning groups including “Antifa types,” individuals who “detest capitalism,” and “Marxists on display.”
In a Facebook post, former presidential contender and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders remarked, “It’s a love America rally.”
“It’s a rally of millions nationwide who believe in our Constitution, who value American freedoms, and,” he directed towards GOP leaders, “will not allow you and Donald Trump to transform this nation into an authoritarian regime.”
Staff writer Allyson Vergara, freelancer Jarret Liotta, the Associated Press, and City News Service contributed to this report.
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