Jack Flemming covers real estate for the Los Angeles Times. He was raised in St.
A rolling wave of 'No Kings' protests swelled through America's small towns and big cities Saturday, with crowds gathering to blast President Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns, the war in Iran and high gas and food prices.
Saturday's demonstrations were expected to draw millions of people nationwide, including thousands for a downtown Los Angeles rally. More than 40 protests were planned for L.A., Orange and Ventura counties, part of the national 'No Kings Day of Nonviolent Action.' No Kings Coalition organizers were hoping that turnout for the rallies in all 50 states could combine to form the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. They pointed to growing anger over the country's direction, including fatal ICE shootings and troops dispatched to the Middle East, since the first 'No Kings' demonstration was held last June. On Saturday morning, hundreds gathered around the reflecting pool at Pasadena City College. A band rolled through with a fascism-themed parody of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” Sign-toting protesters lined Colorado Boulevard, drawing a constant stream of honking from the cars driving by. For many, the Iran war was top of mind. “Every time we protest, there’s something completely new, which speaks to the chaos of the Trump administration,” Cindy Campbell told The Times. “ICE raids last year, Epstein files a few months ago. Now, war.” “This administration doesn’t serve us. It serves billionaires,” said Kent Miller, of Monrovia, who participated in the Pasadena protest. “War with Iran is only making life harder for working people.” Miller pointed to a Chevron gas station advertising gas for $6.45 per gallon. “See?” he said. National coordinators said there has been increased interest in smaller communities, including Republican bastions, with higher-than-expected attendance during Saturday's protests. 'I'm out here because I'm disgusted with what I'm seeing,' said Kersty Kinsey, a mother who was protesting near the Beaufort, S.C., City Hall. 'People are suffering, and he's playing golf. People are suffering, and he's going other places and blowing things up.' In Beaufort, an antebellum city founded in 1711, an estimated 3,000 people turned out — a marked increase over earlier 'No Kings' rallies, said Barb Nash, one of the coordinators. Amid the moss-draped live oaks and blooming pink and white azaleas, a person in a purple Barney dinosaur costume held a sign reading: 'Dino's for Democracy.' A young girl handed out homemade 'Resistance Cookies.' Los Angeles coordinators said they expect more than 100,000 people at the local events, which were being planned for Beverly Hills, Burbank, West Covina, West Hollywood and Thousand Oaks. One group planned a 'Road Outrage' car caravan to motor through Mid City with flapping flags calling for 'No War,' and 'ICE Out of LA.' At a Torrance gathering, cars honked, protesters waved flags, and a person in an inflatable green cow costume hoisted a large American flag. The White House, in a Saturday statement, dismissed the protests as a 'Trump Derangement Therapy Session.' Organizers said they have been particularly encouraged by the surge of interest from groups in rural communities that wanted to join the loose-knit No Kings Coalition and hold protests. Jaynie Parrish, founder of the Arizona Native Vote project, started planning a protest for her tiny town of Kayenta, on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, only earlier this week. 'My dad, who's a veteran and an elder, said: 'We should go,' and I said, 'OK,'' Parrish told The Times. 'Our folks don't always protest for things, but this was very important,' Parrish said. 'A lot of our families are feeling the impacts right now of higher prices and things being cut. A lot of our healthcare benefits are being cut ... and our tribal sovereignty is being threatened.' Upbeat Midwestern activists withstood whipping winds to form a line of protesters stretching nearly three blocks of Burlington Avenue in Hastings, Neb. Under the crisp blue skies, one of the protesters, Drew Fausett, told The Times in a phone interview that he is a registered Republican in the decidedly red state. 'My politics haven't really changed — but the party around me has,' Fausett said. 'It used to be the two parties were two sides of the same coin, and they would work together — but not anymore.' He and his wife, Becky, have attended 'No Kings' and other protests because 'it's the only way to show that people have different opinions,' he said. 'People are out here speaking for their families and their neighbors. That's what this is all about.' Trump's policies are hurting many in Nebraska — including farmers, said Debby Thompson, one of the Hastings organizers. 'We want to urge our representatives in Congress to not just rubber stamp whatever Trump wants because it's really hurting rural folks and farmers,' Thompson said. 'The tariffs and huge increase in prices on fertilizer are hitting farmers really hard.' The 'No Kings' campaign sprouted in June as an act of defiance on Trump's 79th birthday. He wanted a military parade in Washington to mark his milestone, and anti-Trump protesters came out in force — an estimated 5 million people around the country — with their own display. At the time, Trump's second-term policies were coming into focus, including ramping up immigration raids, deploying the National Guard to L.A. in response to protests, and mass firings within the federal government. A subsequent event in mid-October drew even larger crowds, with an estimated 7 million people protesting around the country. Saturday's event coincided with a dip in Trump's approval ratings. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found 36% approve of Trump's job performance, marking the lowest level since his return to office last year. In a separate Fox News Poll released last week, 59% disapproved of his job performance. 'Since the last 'No Kings,' we're seeing higher gas prices and groceries, all while there's an illegal war in Iran,' national organizer Sarah Parker of the organization 50501 said during a Thursday press briefing. 'We've also seen our neighbors executed — American citizens executed.' Widespread protests and candlelight vigils followed January's fatal shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse. 'The defining story of this Saturday's mobilization is not just how many people are protesting — but where they are protesting,' Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, said during the press briefing. She said two-thirds of the RSVPs to national organizers came from outside of major urban centers. The Los Angeles event was organized by the local chapter of 50501 and other progressive groups, including the ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible and Public Citizen, as well as labor unions such as Unite Here Local 11 and the Service Workers International Union. “There's an affordability crisis in this country — people can't afford groceries or healthcare,' Joseph Bryant, SEIU executive vice president, said in a statement. 'But this administration is focused on expanding its power, starting unnecessary wars that benefit billionaires, and targeting immigrants and citizens who dare to stand up for them.'
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Los Angeles schools accused of quietly funding race-based programming for Black students onlyFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Here's every promo and giveaway for the Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 MLB seasonDodgers bobbleheads and more. See every Dodgers giveaway at Dodger Stadium in 2026.
Read more »
JD Vance's Task Force Suspends 70 Los Angeles Healthcare Businesses for FraudVice President JD Vance's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and CMS have suspended 70 hospice and home health businesses in Los Angeles due to fraud concerns. The task force, which will utilize AI-driven fraud detection, aims to expand its efforts nationwide.
Read more »
The Oscars will move from Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles in 2029The Academy Awards show is moving from Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles.
Read more »
The Best Vintage Stores in Los AngelesVogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Los Angeles is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the globe, curated by editors from all over.
Read more »
'No Kings' protest in downtown Los Angeles expected to draw more than 50,000 people, organizers saySaturday's 'No Kings' rallies, the first since the January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota, could be the largest showing yet, organizers say.
Read more »