Some people attended the No Kings march for the first time, but others, like Shelley Facente, had attended all three. “I felt more resolute even today,” she told KQED in San Francisco, comparing this moment to the previous ones. “It was that much more important that we double down and keep showing up.”
Among the thousands of people taking part in the march were people of all ages. Elderly participants rode mobile scooters, and young parents hoisted their children on their shoulders. With a handmade sign in one hand and his daughter in the other, Jesse Bell made his way through the San Francisco crowd. “This was a place, this country, where we were able to gather together to say how we felt, and I wanted to take advantage of that and show my daughter the power [of people],” he said.
This was the third No Kings event in nine months, and Kaelyn Abbott had been to all three: one in Santa Cruz, one in San José, and now San Francisco. She said so much had happened since the last protest and that “we needed to have one once a month, to be honest, in order to keep up with all the grievances people had and to keep momentum. More people were finally understanding that we really needed to stand up for our country.”
Many people in the crowd carried handmade signs critical of recent actions by the Trump administration, and hundreds donned a wild array of costumes, from inflatable bald eagles to a human-size U.S. Constitution with a hole for the head. Many people also carried the U.S. flag. Rachel Strom, who wore the flag like a cape in San Francisco, said, “It was so important that we take back patriotism because the Left had been branded as ‘hating America.’ I protested because I loved America and feared the destruction of democracy.”
Last October, over seven million people joined events in all 50 states, according to national organizers. Organizers for San Francisco’s “No Kings” rally estimate 100,000 people were in attendance.
The rallies have drawn support from groups across a range of issues, including some who say opposing the Trump administration should be the top priority.
“We are all in trouble, but the good news is we can unify and we can all come together and say, this needs to change,” said Michelle Merrill, an organizer for the San José “No Kings” rally.
The scene in downtown San José was part street protest, part block party — with a Trump piñata overhead, costumed demonstrators weaving through the crowd, musicians playing anti-war songs and hundreds of signs demanding an end to the war in Iran, ICE enforcement and what many called executive overreach.
A few thousand gathered at St. James Park by noon, many saying it was their first time at a No Kings rally. Groups like South Bay Swing Left have seen membership triple over the last year as a result, said Leesa Lovelace, a San José native and organizer with the group.
“There’s all this horrible stuff happening in the world, especially in Washington, D.C.,” Lovelace said. “But to be here, you really get a sense that there are people that care, there are people that want to change things for the better.”
A rhythmic drumming led a procession of thousands through the streets, a cultural call to resistance that 888 Taiko Collective’s Janet Koike, a third-generation Japanese American, said was rooted in a dark chapter of local history. Koike, whose parents were interned during World War II, noted that the current political climate feels like a repeat of the past.
“The phrase mou shimasen means never again,” Koike said. “I’m just grieved beyond belief that we are having to raise our voices and say never again.”
Rep. Sam Liccardo told the audience he hopped on an early morning flight after a late-night vote to stand with his constituents against what he described as a “circus” in the White House. Liccardo took aim at the administration’s military actions and economic policies, specifically targeting the war in Iran.
“We got our women and men in uniform fighting in a war that Congress never authorized,” Liccardo said. “You have every reason to be frustrated and angry. I am too.”
Sen. Adam Schiff joined the chorus of “hell no” chants, warning that democracy is not inevitable and must be “fought for and cherished by every generation.” The sentiment was echoed by South Bay Rep. Ro Khanna, who emphasized the intersection of anti-war sentiment and domestic civil rights.
“I’m so proud of the big crowds that showed up,” Khanna told KQED. “Over a thousand people are here to stand up against the war in Iran… here to stand against ICE abuse. People want our democracy back.”
KQED’s Lakshmi Sarah, Ayah Ali-Ahmad and Billy Cruz contributed to this report.
