(The Center Square) – Over a hundred “No Kings Day” rallies will take place Saturday in California to combat what protesters call the Trump administration’s “authoritarian” policies.
A coalition of grassroots political organizations announced the “No Kings Day” events. The No Kings website describes Saturday as a “nationwide day of defiance” against what organizers believe are President Donald Trump’s tyrannical policies. Hundreds of rallies are scheduled across the country.
“The corruption has gone too far,” the No Kings website says. “No thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.”
The rallies fall on the same day as Flag Day, the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, Trump’s 79th birthday and an arranged military parade in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Army’s birthday. This is no coincidence. Organizers of No King say they suspected the military parade was actually arranged for Trump’s birthday and decided to orchestrate “No Kings Day” on the same day.
“Instead of allowing his military parade to be the center of gravity, activists will make action everywhere else the story of America that day,” Indivisible, a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups and one of the leading organizers of No Kings, said in a statement May 6.
In California, major cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento are holding a No Kings rally.
Major counties such as San Diego are holding multiple rallies. Rallies include two in the city of San Diego – No Kings Waterfront Park at 10 a.m. and No Kings Mira Mesa at 11 a.m. – and one in a beach city in the county, No Kings Del Mar at 10 a.m.
To find other rallies in the U.S., look at the No Kings Map on the website. Protesters are told to bring homemade signs or props with written phrases on them such as “No Kings in America,” megaphones, American flags and comfortable clothes.
Organizers of the San Diego County rallies say they do not support violent action and encourage participants to refrain from conflict.
“This will be a peaceful, nonviolent march,” the No Kings San Diego organization wrote in an email to participants.
No Kings San Diego also said the San Diego police will be at the events helping with crowd control.
“The San Diego Police Department fully supports the right to peacefully assemble and exercise free speech,” the SDPD said in a statement Friday. “However, actions such as damaging property or engaging in violence are unlawful and will result in legal consequences.”
