Hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents joined millions across the country marching on Oct. 18 to declare that American democracy has no place for kings.

“It’s so important to get out and be together as citizens,” said Julie Franco, a resident of Pleasant Hill who was among hundreds of protesters here flanking the downtown streets and packing the square outside city hall.

“This isn’t our first time as a nation fighting for democracy, and the more we do it, the better we are at it.”

The second “No Kings” protest denouncing the actions of the Trump administration drew an estimated 200,000 people throughout Northern California, and some 7 million nationwide, who came out to oppose everything from ICE detentions and the militarization of America’s streets to corruption, inflation, mass federal layoffs and anti-science policies. 

More than 2,700 demonstrations were held in towns and cities across the country, making the Oct. 18 action one of the largest protests in U.S. history. The movement was organized by a coalition of groups, including Indivisible, 50501 and MoveOn.

Oakland

In downtown Oakland, an estimated 20,000 people marched from Wilma Chan Park to the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. Among them stood 80-year-old Jean Tepperman, representing the organization 1,000 Grandmothers for Future Generations. 

“I have four beautiful, wonderful grandchildren, and I don’t want them to grow up in a fascist society,” said Tepperman. “I’m worried that they’re going to have violence.”

Tepperman, who also attended the “No Kings” protest on June 14, said the October demonstration reflected a movement that is growing visibly “bigger.”

“I think people are understanding more and more that we have to show and demonstrate resistance: we have to show up for each other, to let each other know how many of us there are,” she said.

Many protesters in Oakland waved signs with messages like “No Tyrants” and “Power to the People,” and one that stood out from the crowd featured a Straw Hat Pirates flag from the popular anime “One Piece,” by Eiichiro Oda. 

“We’re really just flying this flag because we don’t need kings that wouldn’t support their people,” said a woman named Jill. “We need to fight against them.”

“I think it’s the best way to show it because right now I’m not proud to fly the American flag.”

Jill mentioned she’s not alone in flying the “Straw-hat Jolly Roger” flag, which has been used by protesters in her home country the Philippines, as well as in Indonesia, France, Italy and Nepal, by people denouncing government corruption.

Speaking to the crowd were Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and United States Rep. Lateefah Simon, among others. 

While most Oakland protesters denounced kingship in the U.S. under the Trump regime, others focused their anger on more specific goals for the country. “We’re trying to work on ending military aid to Israel, and to begin to build an alternative to the two big business parties,” said Eric Gee, a protester representing the East Bay chapter of Democratic Socialists of America.

Referring to the Democratic and Republican parties, Gee said, “they’re both completely hog-tied to big business, and now the Republicans have embraced this slide into authoritarianism.”

“We see what’s happening in Chicago, they’ve threatened to come here, so we’re trying to begin to build the opposition that’s effective,” he added.

Petaluma

Meanwhile, in the North Bay, around 3,000 people marched through downtown Petaluma to Walnut Park. The crowd was a broad and diverse group: old and young, men and women, tech workers and farmers, standing side by side to support their community. 

Protesters held signs saying, “No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings in the USA,” “We the People, No Kings, No Trump,” and “Dump Trump the Horses Rump.” 

One protester, Raven, 34, came out with a sign that read “Frog Over Fascist.” 

“I have friends that are people of color in red states, [who] I’m worried about,” she said, adding that the “No Kings” protest was an opportunity to bring people together and build community.

Another protester in Petaluma, Mala Abrams, 64, said she came from Sebastopol, nearly 20 miles away, to make her voice heard. 

“I think we need people to speak up, or we’re going to lose democracy,” she said. “We have to do something before we lose what’s really important.”

“It feels good to know I’m not the only one who wants to make changes,” Abrams added. “I’m worried about young women not having the right to choose. I’m older now, it doesn’t affect me, but when I was younger, I always knew I had that choice, and I think that’s important.”

Jeff, 71, a Petaluma local, said, “I am protesting against the Trump administration and the atrocities against our U.S. Constitution.”

Sporting a “No Kings, Since 1776” shirt and holding a sign that read, “No Kings, No Dictators, No Traitors, No Trump,” Jeff celebrated what he called a “great turnout.”

“It’s a beautiful day, lots of neighbors out here, everybody is in high spirits. We’re happy that we see a community of people that are opposed to authoritarianism,” he said. 

“We will get our power back and the Constitution will be righted.”

Pittsburg

Back down in the East Bay, hundreds gathered at the Railroad Ave overpass on Highway 4 in Pittsburg, where protesters spoke about their fears, divisions in the country, and the toll the immigration crackdowns are taking on local families.

Donna Smith, a Pittsburg planning commissioner and professor of journalism at Diablo Valley College, attended the protest and said she’s seen a growing fear among workers in her community. 

“Some of the gardening people in our neighborhoods are afraid to come out and do their landscaping work, because they have been really afraid of ICE showing up,” said Smith, who described the crisis emerging from Trump’s policies particularly in the farmlands of the San Joaquin River Delta. 

“The people that are planting the fields have been afraid to go out. A lot of those fields have just been empty, meaning no fruit, no vegetables that would reach our markets,” she said, and as a result, “our prices are going to go up.”

“Instead of them harvesting during the day, as they have for generations, they are turning on lights from tractors in those fields, [and] in the middle of the night they are being harvested by these people because they’re afraid to come out during the day.”

The Trump administration’s policies are “terrorizing” working families, she added. 

“Are some of these people here illegally? Probably. Are they criminals? No. We cannot survive in this state without these workers.”

For Pittsburg native Sofia Hernandez, the protest was about standing up for her neighbors. 

“This is my community,” Hernandez said. “I have a coworker who was on DACA. He’s been here since he was seven years old. He has a family with three children, and he’s a very hard worker.

“He’s now in his thirties, and he is scared,” she added. “He’s scared coming into work every single day.”

Andrea A., another Pittsburg resident, said she came out for “No Kings” because “we can’t sit at home anymore.”

Holding a sign that read, “I Need to Be Able to Tell My Children I Did Not Stay Silent,” Andrea said she was motivated by fear for her kids’ future. 

“We were once united, and I feel like we are the most divided that I’ve seen in my whole life,” she said.

“They’re taking people down in front of their children, like they’re some type of criminal, and that’s so far from the truth.”

Iliana O., who came with her two-year-old daughter, said she wanted to show that people’s voices matter. Her signs read, “No Kings, Yes Queens” and “Stop Pretending Your Racism Is Patriotism.” 

“I love America. I’m proud to be an American,” Iliana said. “At the same time, I’m also against Trump. He does not represent American values.”

Pleasant Hill

Several miles south of DVC, in downtown Pleasant Hill, passing cars honked to cheers from the crowd of hundreds as a man leaned out of his window, yelling, “F*ck Trump!” 

An individual sporting the distinctive inflatable frog suit, which has gone viral in online videos from Portland and other protests, walked through a sea of signs that read, “Democracy, not Dictators,” “Predator in Chief,” and “We Love Science,” among other messages.

One man passed out flashcards to fellow protesters listing individuals’ legal right to protest.

“One of my friends was deported by ICE,” said an attendee who called herself Serenade R.

Charles Gieseler, another Pleasant Hill local, attended the rally with his wife and two golden retrievers and said they also marched at the first “No Kings” protest over the summer.

“We’ve been watching everything: the trampling of civil liberties, kidnappings by ICE,” said Gieseler. “We’ve been worried since Day One.”

He added, “The more people are here, the less others are frightened by this administration’s intimidation tactics.”