The third nationwide No Kings protest held Saturday, March 28, was the biggest one yet, with more than 8 million people joining demonstrations across the country. But while the numbers are impressive, organizers and protestors are supporting additional measures to oppose the Trump administration, including getting more people to the polls.
Northridge Indivisible, a volunteer group of “grassroots progressives,” gathered at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and Zelzah Avenue, next to California State University, Northridge.
In addition to demonstrating, the organizers used the opportunity to increase civic engagement by setting up tables to get more people registered to vote. Duski Wanamaker, treasurer for Northridge Indivisible, said that their goal is to regain control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans, and to do that, they have to get more people to vote during the elections.
“That’s our biggest focus because the only way we’re [not] going to have a king [in our government] is to take back the House,” Wanamaker said. “We’ll be sharing information about when the mail-in ballots go out and when the polling places open because people need to know that so that they get their ballots in as soon as possible.”
Sharing the same sentiment – East Valley Indivisible held a rally in Encino, with more than 850 people in attendance.
One of those protesters was Holly Pitracho from Lake Balboa, who, just like many others, is concerned for the state of the country’s democracy, saying that Congress essentially allows Trump to run “like a dictator.”
For Pitracho, she said that everyone should be calling their representatives and senators on a daily basis and voicing what they need and want from the government, as well as signing petitions that can hopefully start some change.
“People really have no excuse to not take these actions,” Pitracho said. “ I hope that people who come out to the protests are also doing all that work. … When weeks and months go by without a protest, you can start to feel very isolated and alone, so when we can all come together like that, we can see in person, face-to-face, the community, the camaraderie, the like-mindedness and the knowledge that many, many people are upset and fighting for something better.”
The Epicenter for LA’s Protest
It’s estimated that approximately 100,000 people were in downtown LA alone. At Gloria Molina Grand Park, there were signs condemning President Donald Trump, his link with notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the recent war with Iran.
There was a long list of speakers who rallied the crowd with a cry of no more kings, including Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign; Phyllis Bennis, an international advisor for Jewish Voice for Peace; Mauni Jalali, a civil rights attorney; and Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association.
“We got work to do,” Robinson said. “We got to be clear: trans people are not why the grocery [prices] are high. Immigrants are not why we don’t feel safe in our communities. We have to stand up and realize our fights are intertwined. … Los Angeles, we got work to do and we are going to do it together, and we are going to do it with joy.”
“Diaper Don,” the large inflatable baby Trump, was paraded through downtown streets along with a papier-mache Trump wrapped in a straitjacket, with a sign that read “convicted felon rapist.”
Scores of demonstrators held signs condemning the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their numerous raids on immigrant communities, those unjustly detained and deported and the killing of United States citizens. Some carried signs with the names and faces of those who died in their custody and those people fatally shot by ICE, including Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
San Fernando High School ceramics teacher Jacqueline Torres was among many in LA who expressed concerns about the safety of those in the Latino community and frustration with the lack of accountability within the Trump administration.
Torres recounted a conversation she had with her sister, questioning why Trump was able to win a second term. The conclusion they reached was that people weren’t educated enough – not necessarily in terms of school subjects, but in matters that affect their community. To make change, she maintained, people need to understand how things work.
“I feel that in the first [Trump] presidency, a lot of people … felt like it was a one-and-done [term] and things would go back to normal,” Torres said. “But it didn’t … because people got disengaged once again, and here we are. And the thing is, Trump obviously is a huge problematic person – he’s only a symptom of the problem, and the problem is something that’s been snowballing over the decades. We’ve become increasingly disengaged with everything.”
Protesting for Change in Burbank
Near the corner of Buena Vista Street and Verdugo Avenue in the city of Burbank, hundreds of enthusiastic demonstrators of all ages gathered for a No Kings protest at Abraham Lincoln Park.
Many protesters held unique handmade signs. One read, “Sorry if I’m weird, this is my first dictatorship,” and another had a graphic of a taco resembling Trump that said, “I’d like this to go please.” Despite the warm day, a few people even donned inflatable animal costumes – one was dressed as a frog and another was a panda, holding a sign that simply stated, “Pandas for Peace.”
Despite the creative levity, Dorothy Samuels believes it’s critically important for people to take things seriously, because “this country is moving in the wrong direction.” She said Americans should take a united stand against the administration by calling out Congress for its inaction.
“We as citizens have to let everybody know that this regime has got to go. What is Congress doing? Why isn’t the Supreme Court doing something? That’s what I want to know,” said Samuels. “We should be talking to our Congress [members] every day about getting [Trump] out of the White House now. That’s why I’m here today – to encourage more people to speak up, because every day it’s something new and it’s getting to be too much. This sh*t doesn’t stop!”
Actor Frank Collison, who was a series regular on “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and has appeared in several television and film productions, said he felt compelled to attend the No Kings rally in Burbank for multiple reasons, including his long-held affinity for Lincoln, and his personal concern about his son, a U.S. Navy pilot, potentially being deployed to serve in Iran.
“The whole war is a crime; it was started illegally without the permission of our Congress,” said Collison, noting that the conflict is putting American lives in jeopardy and also harming innocent civilians in Iran. He said Trump has openly threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran, including power and water treatment plants, which he believes would constitute a “war crime.”
Collison is also vehemently opposed to the Republican-led SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act (H.R. 22/S. 128), which he said would be tantamount to voter suppression. He hopes that more voters will trade in their apathy for action by taking a collective first concrete step toward eventually ousting Trump by flipping Congress in the midterm elections.
“My mother and father were very active in the civil rights movement when I was growing up in Richmond, Virginia, so [activism] is sort of in my blood,” said Collison. “I feel like it’s my duty as an American citizen to be here and help [encourage] people to do their part and vote.”
Kathleen Farrell from Sherman Oaks described Trump as a “disaster,” adding that he has “an ego the size of Cleveland, Ohio – maybe bigger.” She has many specific concerns about his administration, most notably regarding access to health care.
“People who have families and children to protect can’t afford to take them to the doctor, and access to elder care is being impacted, too,” said Farrell. “I also worry about the economy in general, because people can’t afford to feed their children or pay the rent. … I am just dead set against Donald Trump as our president; he’s creating so much havoc and I can’t wait for him to be taken out of office.”
For Brian Yetwin of Burbank, who attended the rally with his two daughters, protesting with his neighbors and their kids is about promoting intergenerational interest, energy and participation.
“I am here because Trump is not only the worst president we’ve ever had; he’s the worst human being I’ve seen in my lifetime,” said Yetwin. “I’m raising two amazing daughters, so I’m fighting for their rights – I’m fighting for the rights of my whole family and for [everyone else], too. I’m anti-tyranny, anti-ICE, pro-trans, pro-gay, pro-humans. I’m just pro-humanity.”