< The Latest 2025-10-17T20:51:05+0000
The Pasadena Star-News | Thu 10/16 01:04pm PST | Ryanne Mena
Thousands of Southern Californians are expected to take part in a second “No Kings Day” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18 to speak out against “authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration,” while prominent Republicans have criticized the planned event as anti-American.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty,” protest organizers wrote in a statement on the No Kings website.
Large crowds in Southern California took to the streets during the first No Kings protest in June to protest President Donald Trump’s policies, an event that fell on his 79th birthday.
The June 14 protests were mostly peaceful until protesters and local law enforcement officers clashed in downtown LA, leading to officers deploying chemical irritants and flash bang grenades at civilians.
Hundreds of protests are scheduled in the second wave of No Kings protests around the country this Saturday, Oct. 18, including dozens in Southern California:
Tensions are already high across the nation in advance of the protests following various acts of political violence including the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the killing of Democratic Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and a fatal shooting outside a Dallas, Texas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building that authorities say targeted ICE agents, although two detainees were killed.
Additionally raising tensions is the threat of troop deployments across various U.S. cities, including Chicago and Portland. The federal government says the troops support immigration agents and protect federal property. Trump has also previously sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and has discussed sending troops to Oakland and San Francisco.
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday called the No Kings protest march scheduled to take place at the National Mall a “hate America rally” that would aligned with “the pro-Hamas wing” and “the antifa people,” according to a Politico story.
In September, Trump vowed to target the “radical left” after the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Ten days after Kirk’s death, Trump signed an executive order to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorism organization.
No Kings organizers responded to Johnson’s comments in a statement posted to their website.
“Speaker Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down. Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, he’s attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings,” the statement said.
Officials in Los Angeles urged safety and peaceful demonstrations.
“Mayor Bass continues to urge Angelenos planning to attend Saturday’s protest to continue protesting peacefully. There is no tolerance for vandalism or crime and those who take advantage of the peaceful protest will be held accountable,” LA Mayor Karen Bass’ office said in a statement.
Law enforcement agencies across Southern California from Los Angeles to Orange County to the Inland Empire echoed each other when asked about their approach to ensuring public safety around the protests, saying they support demonstrators right to protest but they will arrest those who break the law.
County sheriffs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange County all said they planned to have additional patrols on Saturday and will place officers near local protests. The Los Angeles Police Department declined to comment.
Similarly, in Santa Ana, the local police department will have officers near the local protest on standby. “[T]here are no concerns at this time. In the past, this event has been peaceful,” said Natalie Garcia, the department’s spokesperson.
The demonstrations are being sponsored by two progressive groups, Indivisible and the 50501 movement.
“As our president continues to crave and pursue more power, we as a people continue to stand up against the regime and say NO to authoritarianism. We will push back against hate and tyranny for the freedom and rights of ALL!”, said Victoria Leigh Julien, spokesperson for Indivisible’s Whittier chapter, in an emailed statement. “Our peaceful day of action is going to bring together local residents from all walks of life who share a simple message: We don’t do kings in America.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date of the initial “No Kings” protest.