No Kings Protests Return To Socal As Donald Trump Ramps Up

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 30, 2025, 12:00 PM

no kings protests return to socal as donald trump ramps up

Dee Cahill of Margate, Fla., holds a “No Kings” sign as she participates in a pro-democracy, anti-Trump protest outside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) Big crowds of protesters are expected Saturday in thousands of places around the U.S. in opposition to what some are characterizing as increasingly authoritarian practices by President Donald Trump. It’s the second “No Kings” protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide. Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as “Hate America” rallies, while others say that it represents a “patriotic” fight for First Amendment rights.

Ezra Levin, a leading organizer of Saturday’s protests, said the demonstrations are a response to what he called Trump’s “crackdown on First Amendment rights.” LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Protesters are expected to pack the streets of Los Angeles and several other cities on Saturday for a nationwide "No Kings" rally. They'll be demonstrating against several controversial Trump administration policies, and political leaders are asking people who show up to protest peacefully. It's the second "No Kings" protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide. Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as "Hate America" rallies, while others say that it represents a "patriotic" fight for First Amendment rights. Saturday's rally is organized by the 50501 Group, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states and one movement.

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Southern California on Saturday for “No Kings” demonstrations against President Trump, portraying the commander in chief as an aspiring monarch as he continues to... In Grand Park, protesters gathered under the shade of a 20-foot inflatable of Trump in a diaper as a band belted out an Epstein files-themed parody of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Protesters draped... “We’re here to fight fascism, and we’re not afraid,” said 25-year-old Jess Sanchez, who has had family members targeted in recent immigration raids. “This is our city and our country.”

The gathering in Grand Park was just one of thousands that unfolded across the country on Saturday as part of a nationwide effort to oppose not only the president but his administration’s policies on... California was again at the center of a nationwide protest movement as “No Kings Day” rallies returned Saturday, Oct. 18, across the Golden State. More than 200 communities hosted marches, vigils, and rallies from Crescent City to El Centro, echoing the massive turnout at similar events this summer. Back in June, the first “No Kings Day” coincided with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s birthday, drawing over 5 million people nationwide—one of the largest coordinated protests since Trump’s second term began.

Organizers estimated that larger crowds showed up at the October events than in the summer. If crowd estimates hold, the one-day "No Kings" event was the largest civil action in the United States since the first Earth Day, 55 years ago. Two of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries, along with some congressional Republicans, have accused Democrats of prolonging the two-week-old government shutdown for the sake of the "No Kings" mass protests. They say Democrats want to show party activists they are pushing back against the Trump administration. "They have a 'hate America' rally that's scheduled for October 18," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said on Fox News. "It's all the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people; they are all coming out."

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"No Kings" protesters gathered across Southern California Saturday to continue to push back against President Donald Trump's directives, including immigration sweeps that ramped up this summer. As crowds gathered in downtown L.A., Quincy Nelson told LAist: "I’m little concerned, actually, a lot of concerned about the unchecked behavior of Donald Trump." As night fell, protests in downtown L.A. stayed peaceful, with crowds taking advantage of food stands and music. LAPD officers meanwhile kept protesters at a distance from the federal detention center. And apart from a few tense exchanges between protesters and LAPD officers at the barricade line, the scene remained at a simmer as downtown streets began to reopen.

Shortly before 7 p.m., however, police issued a dispersal order for the crowd gathered on Alameda between Aliso and Temple. The Trump resistance ignited again in the U.S. and California Saturday, underscoring a country that’s on multiple tracks to push back against the president as state lawyers prepare for two marquee court hearings against his administration this week and next. Nationwide, some protesters held colorful signs, chanted in unison and wore inflatable costumes. It was the second No Kings protest following the first one in June, and it was much bigger this time around, according to organizers: More than 7 million people showed up across 2,700 planned... Demonstrators slammed the administration’s crackdown on immigration, deployment of the National Guard to Democratic-leaning states, firing of federal workers and other policies.

President Donald Trump’s net approval rating is now -15 percentage points, according to The Economist. Some Californians also showed their support for the state’s redistricting measure, Proposition 50. Protesters in Los Angeles were nonviolent, reports CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn, who was on the ground in downtown Saturday. But police officers on horseback moved on demonstrators after issuing a number of dispersal orders in the evening to clear the area. Some officers also fired less-lethal munitions. Several people were detained and there was at least one reported arrest, according to ABC 7.

Tens of thousands of protestors rallied together elsewhere in California, including the northern region of the state, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Central Valley and the Inland Empire. There were no reports of violence or arrests at the rallies Activists and advocacy groups staged a second round of "No Kings" protests across the country on Saturday in response to what they call abuse of power by President Donald Trump and his administration, including... Photos and videos of events from Boston to Los Angeles showed huge crowds of demonstrators carrying signs protesting the administration's policies such as mass deportations. Republicans contended the protests were "hate America" rallies and claimed they're prolonging the federal government shutdown. There were no immediate reports of violent incidents or arrests, according to local police departments.

No Kings Protests Return To Socal As Donald Trump Ramps Up

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