Over 3,000 people attended the “No Kings Day” rally to protest the Trump administration in downtown San Luis Obispo Saturday. Demonstrators gathered around 10:00 a.m. — half an hour before the protest was scheduled to start — marching through the sidewalks of Chorro, Monterey, Osos and Higuera.
Leila Touati | Mustang News
Adorned in anti-Trump paraphernalia and hand-made posters, protesters voiced concerns about immigration policies and erasing history. One sign read, “Did you skip history class, Trump? We got rid of kings in 1776.”
Joined by the protesters were local representatives Assemblymember Dawn Addis, California Senator John Laird and county supervisors Bruce Gibson and Jimmy Paulding, according to the SLO Tribune.
Leila Touati | Mustang News
Rally organizers additionally led chants supporting the immigrant community and abolishing ICE. They chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.”
Laird discussed recent events in Los Angeles, including Senator Alex Padilla being removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference Thursday.
“The Constitution was attacked.”
John Laird, California Senator
Many protestors shared that sentiment, holding signs that said “We demand democracy” and “Resist.”
As they marched from the SLO County Courthouse to Mission Plaza, protesters chanted, “It’s love, not hate, that makes America great,” and “No Trump; No KKK; no fascist USA.”
What is No Kings Day?
While protesters gathered in the streets of downtown San Luis Obispo, in Washington D.C., thousands gathered for a military parade celebrating the United States’ Army’s 250th birthday with tanks, troops and a 21-gun salute, which coincided with President Trump’s 79th birthday.
In response to the parade, organizers led a “nationwide day of defiance” in approximately 2,000 cities across the United States. There were reportedly movements planned across Europe, according to the No Kings website. No Kings Day was primarily led by 50501, a national grassroots organization founded to protest the actions of the Trump administration. Organizers said the parade was part of “Trump’s plans to feed his ego on his 79th birthday and flag day,” according to the AP. The organization’s name comes from their mission: “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.”
In San Luis Obispo county, there were three separate rallies held in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Cambria. The San Luis Obispo rally brought speakers, protesters and music together at a street march. Atascadero hosted both a car rally and march downtown. Additionally, they hosted a food drive for the Atascadero Food Pantry ALF. Cambria hosted a sidewalk march and car rally.
How did San Luis Obispo prepare for the protest?
Tom Fulks, Chair of the SLO Democratic Party, sent an email ahead of the rally emphasizing the importance of the rally being peaceful. Along with information about keeping non-protest streets clear and respecting traffic, Fulks mentioned the presence of “peacekeepers:” volunteers trained in safety and de-escalation.
Additionally, there were legal advisors trained by the National Lawyers Guild to monitor, observe and document efforts to suppress First Amendment-protected activity.
These warnings came after violence against protesters in Los Angeles heightened this week. “I’m angry. You’re angry,” Fulks wrote in the email, upset after Senator Alex Padilla was forcefully removed from an LA briefing by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.
“It’s ok to be angry about that,” he wrote. “Now it’s up to us to protect and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures.”
