Nearly 7 million people gathered for the second “No Kings” protests in over 2,500 cities, according to The Independent. The demonstrations went beyond state borders and reached countries including Mexico, Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Spain and many others.
Protesters stood together in solidarity and exercised their First Amendment right to protest and peacefully assemble to criticize how the executive branch has handled issues such as anti-authoritarianism, threats to democracy, rule of law, civil liberties, human rights, immigration, racial and social justice, anti-fascism and perceived threats to democracy.
“Trump put his people in top positions who will kiss his butt and do anything he wants. He is dividing us, making the poor, poorer and the rich, richer, ” said Marianne Notler, an attendee.
Huntington Beach resident and artist Cater De Ray, and her husband Jon Ray, do not agree with President Donald Trump’s policies, the lack of due process surrounding ICE arrests, and how he seemingly “does not follow the law.” The couple believes that Trump is dividing people.
“If someone does not agree with him. Those individuals will be retaliated against, and that is not right,” said Jon.
There were multiple grassroots organizations, such as Invisible 47, WAVE and food banks, at the protests in Santa Ana. The crowd gathered with live music, a DJ and featured Orange County community leaders as speakers.
“I am here in solidarity to support undocumented families and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves to be their voice,” said Vanesa Estrella, a board member of the Fullerton School District and alumna of Fullerton College.
California Assembly Member for the 68th district and Fullerton College alumnus, Avelino Valencia, felt that his purpose was to continue to communicate the need to get Prop 50 passed.
Trump responded to the protests on Saturday with AI-generated video posts on his Truth Social Account, depicting him as a king. One viral post shows him wearing a crown and flying a fighter jet with the words “King Trump” on the side as he dumps sewage on the protesters.
The main protester the video focused on was Harry Sisson, a political commentator and social media influencer. Sisson made a post on X asking if a reporter could ask Trump why he was dropping poop on him in the AI video. The post received attention from Vice President James David Vance, who quoted the post, “I’ll ask him for you Harry.”
The Santa Ana rally, scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., began winding down around 4:45 p.m. and concluded peacefully. However, the tone shifted elsewhere. In downtown Los Angeles, police declared an unlawful assembly after dark and mounted officers and riot units clashed with demonstrators, leading to more than a dozen arrests.
