Thousands of people marched from Mission Dolores Park to Civic Center Plaza to protest against President Donald Trump’s actions during the No Kings march and rally in downtown San Francisco today.
The demonstration was one of over 2,000 protests held across the nation today — including the biggest “No Kings” demonstration in New York City and others in cities like Los Angeles, where the National Guard and Marines have been deployed after protests against recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. San Francisco’s event was organized by Indivisible SF and 50501SF to show “commitment to democracy and the power of We the People,” according to an Instagram post.
“President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday,” according to the website of No Kings, a national protest movement. “But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else. No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance.”
Jackson Borchardt attended the protest because he is worried about the expansion of executive power.
“There’s been current moves by the Trump administration that are not normal executive powers underneath the uniform executive theory,” said Borchardt, in reference to the Supreme Court ruling to affirm Trump and subsequent presidents’ unlimited executive authority. “I’m worried that they’re gaining the power of the purse from Congress.”
Aside from the deployment of 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines in Los Angeles, the “No Kings” protests called attention to the military parade today in Washington, D.C. and ICE deportations.
“We have an elected official, not a king,” Borchardt said. “By not protesting, you’re accepting this new status quo.”
The words “FUCK ICE” were spread on a hill at Mission Dolores Park. Protesters with megaphones led chants against recent deportations, including U.S. citizens.
Bryan Boch protested for his mother, an undocumented immigrant who was recently deported.
“My parents fought for my future, so now I’m fighting for theirs,” Boch said. “The reason I’m standing in the U.S. is because of her.”
Asa Stahl said this particular protest is less about getting the attention of the executive branch, but to signal to the Democratic Party that issues like mass deportations and unlimited executive authority matter to their constituency.
“Our votes should not be taken for granted,” Stahl said. “We expect action and we want stronger action than what the Democratic Party is currently doing.”
Throughout the roughly three-hour demonstration, the number of protesters began to dwindle, yet Civic Center Plaza remained crowded with those who attended the rally after the 1.5-mile march.
Other events took place today across San Francisco, including at Ocean Beach, where protesters formed a ‘No King’ human banner, and an emergency mobilization at an ICE office in SoMa after immigrants received text messages on Friday from ICE instructing them to come to the office during the weekend, despite the office’s regular operating hours of Monday through Friday.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said the demonstrations have been “overwhelmingly peaceful.”
“Really proud of how San Franciscans showed up this morning and into this early afternoon,” said Lurie in an Instagram story.
Lurie said in the Instagram story that local law enforcement remains fully deployed for other events occurring throughout the city, and Muni has resumed normal operations.
