{"id":41962,"date":"2025-06-16T13:25:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T20:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=41962"},"modified":"2025-06-16T13:26:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T20:26:00","slug":"massive-crowds-turn-out-for-san-franciscos-no-kings-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/06\/16\/massive-crowds-turn-out-for-san-franciscos-no-kings-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive crowds turn out for San Francisco\u2019s \u2018No Kings\u2019 protest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The demonstration \u2014 one of about 2,000 nationwide \u2014 coincides with Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The demonstration, which started in Dolores Park before heading to downtown, was one of 2,000 or so protests throughout the nation on Saturday. | Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Ezra Wallach<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Jennifer Wadsworth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published\u00a0Jun. 14, 2025 \u2022 (SFStandard.com)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tens of thousands of people descended on the streets of San Francisco Saturday as part of the nationwide \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest against Donald Trump, which coincided with the president\u2019s $45 million military parade in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rally and march concluded with no arrests, police said. It was a stark contrast from the weekend before, when the SFPD arrested around 150 people at a protest in downtown \u2014 about triple the number Los Angeles saw that same day amid tumultuous demonstrations against Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturday\u2019s protest in San Francisco was much bigger than rallies the city saw in preceding days, too. What started as a gathering of several thousand at Dolores Park Saturday morning quickly swelled to a crowd of more than 50,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several participants carried upside-down American flags, and chanted \u201cImmigrants stay; Trump must go.\u201d Others hoisted signs that read, \u201cMore queens, less kings,\u201d \u201cfight fascism,\u201d \u201cfull rights for immigrants,\u201d and \u201cTrump\u2019s MAGA kills cops.\u201d Helicopters and a CHP plane flew overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A demonstrator holds a sign from a streetlight. | Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHoly shit,\u201d someone yelled as they looked southward onto Dolores Street to see how large the crowd was. Up the hill of the tree-lined median were bodies as far as the eye could see. The mass of people made it so each marcher stood idle more than they moved in any one direction. It was a traffic jam of resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mixed in with a sea of American flags were a number of signs calling Trump \u201cthe king of Epstein\u2019s Island\u201d and a \u201cdick-tator.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Angel Fabian, 52, burns sage during the march. | Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"People
Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Amy Miller, 66, held a sign with a a cartoon of Trump\u2019s face and the words, \u201cno faux-king way.\u201d Miller, who works for San Francisco public schools, said she believes that the president\u2019s use of military force and deportations in his second term has threatened due process in this country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are just picking people off the street and taking them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Siena Michelson, 18, holds up a handmade sign at Dolores Park. | Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Activists chant as organizers gear up for the march. | Source:Ezra Wallach\/The Standard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Matty Easton, 30, holds sign reading \u201cWe drink neat because fuck ICE.\u201d | Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vinney Le, 36, brought a sign championing trans rights. | Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sixty-three-year-old retiree Brad Chilcoat said he joined the march to exercise his First Amendment right to assemble peacefully and air his grievances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone needs to know [Trump] is not following the law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Walter Van Riel said his heart aches over what’s happening in this country. | Source:Ezra Wallach\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cFuck ICE\u201d is written across a hill at Dolores Park. | Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rebecca Nowlen, 52, holds a sign reading \u201chands off our neighbors.” | Source:Estefany Gonzalez for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Huib Petersen, 63, an artist, from Holland, said he believes that what happened in Germany in the years leading up to WWII is happening today in the United States. “History doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme,” he said. | Source:Ezra Wallach\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Walter Van Riel, 67, semi-retiree, dressed up as Uncle Sam for the event to symbolize Trump\u2019s constitutional violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am in pain,\u201d he said. \u201cMy heart is aching. I\u2019m hoping by being out here, I can inspire people to rise. Uncle Sam needs some help. He\u2019s ill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe can\u2019t lose democracy,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s too precious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just before noon, an organizer relayed some ground rules to the crowd: Keep focused, don\u2019t talk to cops, keep the march moving, and \u201csave your anger for Trump and fascists.\u201dSource:Emily Dreyfuss\/The Standard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnout for the demonstrations rode on momentum of the unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump sending the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles without Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s consent<\/a>, ratcheting up tensions with protesters. The first 200 Marines arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building on Friday, marking their first domestic deployment in more than three decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How SF\u2019s protest movement will juice \u2018No Kings\u2019 turnout<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Let go of my balls\u2019: ICE arrest goes south, ends in testicle-grabbing brawl<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Protesters shut down immigration court after ICE arrests<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo Kings\u201d leaders called the protests, planned for more than 2,000 locations throughout the country on Saturday, a \u201cday of defiance \u2026 to reject authoritarianism\u2014and show the world what democracy really looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, organizers say more than 5 million people took part in the protests nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
A protester carries a homemade peace sign. | Source:Emily Dreyfuss\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A pug wears a “Dogs against DOGE” bandana. | Source:Emily Dreyfuss\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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An activist carries a sign that says “Hands off our senator,” referring to federal officials physically ousting Sen. Alex Padilla<\/a>, D-Los Angeles, from a U.S. Homeland Security press conference earlier this week. | Source:Emily Dreyfuss\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Source:Charlie Marshall\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Source:Ezra Wallach\/The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"People
Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Source:Pablo Unzueta for The Standard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ezra Wallach can be reached at ewallach@sfstandard.com<\/a>
Jennifer Wadsworth can be reached at jennifer@sfstandard.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The demonstration \u2014 one of about 2,000 nationwide \u2014 coincides with Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington D.C. By\u00a0Ezra Wallach\u00a0and\u00a0Jennifer Wadsworth Published\u00a0Jun. 14, 2025 \u2022 (SFStandard.com) Tens of thousands of people descended on the streets of San Francisco Saturday as part of the nationwide \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest against Donald Trump,… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41962"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41963,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41962\/revisions\/41963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}