The below article was originally published on SB Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts
By Shelby Appice and Jerry Roberts
At least 500 Never-Trump protesters lined Cabrillo Boulevard on both sides of the Dolphin Family sculpture Thursday night, in a quiet but powerful demonstration of dissent against the repulsive policies of the Administration’s right-wing regime.
It was the fourth time since federal immigration agents staged military raids on July 10 against two legal, Central Coast cannabis operations that large numbers of neighbors, citizens and undocumented alike, gathered to display opposition to Trump’s cowardly, quota-driven round ups of people with brown skin, trampling of the Constitution and disregard for democracy.
Following earlier town halls convened in Carpinteria, on Santa Barbara’s Eastside, and at the Board of Supervisors, all responding to the disgraceful Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation actions, Thursday night’s affair was a low-key gathering, an electric candlelight vigil dubbed “Good Trouble,” to honor the memory of civil rights icon John Lewis and his passion for non-violent protest and social justice.
The “good trouble” crowd was older, whiter and less immediately threatened by Trump’s immigration jihad than many of the hundreds who assembled at the earlier gatherings. But with presence and hand-crafted signs, they expressed solidarity with their neighbors who are under siege, while calling out the gangster government for a host of other extremist policies as well.
Here is a sampling from among the crowd.
People began gathering at the Dolphin fountain about a half hour before sunset…
And the crowd soon grew to hundreds, sprawling along Cabrillo in both directions…
As protestors quietly conversed, passing cars blasted a constant cacophony of support that drew smiles, waves and victory signs from the largely solemn crowd…
Much protest messaging focused on protecting immigrants, but some expressed broader concerns about the fundamental values of the Republic, or…
…called out the deeper historic context of Trump’s assault on the Constitution of a nation founded on fighting tyranny, where all but a few are immigrants…
For some, the actions of the regime exceed the bounds of rationality, and expressing the full measure of their outrage requires strong language, cussing or effing…
For most, opposition to Trump boils down to his lack of basic human decency and compassion, and hatred of his cruelty and toxic, self-absorbed drive to divide the nation.
Also Read
- Elings Park Hits $200,000 Goal, Unlocking $1 million for Castagnola Softball Complex renovations
- What’s Happening in Downtown Santa Barbara: May 7-13
- Wildfire Resiliency Work Takes Center Stage at Wildfire Preparedness Week Event in Santa Barbara County
- Local Teens Awarded Scouting’s Highest Honor
- Marian Regional Medical Center & OneLegacy Raise Donate Life Flag, Championing Critical Organ Donation
Kudos to those protesting ! Keep it up
The GOP is a terrorist organization controlled by Project 2025, and its lead puppet, Donald Trump. The followers of this Christian Nationalist movement are cult followers (aka Republicans). It is beyond sad that republican neighbors live in so much fear, pounded into them by their leader and far right echo chamber, that they have lost all creative and logical thought. Trump supporters support bigoted and misogynistic politics that are contrary to the very fabric of the constitution. The enemy lives amongst us.
The economy is booming, the border is closed, the stock market is t all time high, taxes are lower – I’ve got what I wanted.
No, you got only the illusion presented to you by con social media. The current kakistocracy has managed to shrink our GDP growth and increase inflation, with more bad news to come as the actions of the past couple of weeks spread their damage.
Economic decay:
https://www.bea.gov/news/2025/gross-domestic-product-1st-quarter-2025-third-estimate-gdp-industry-and-corporate-profits
The Border is not closed you f***ing dummy.
Beyond that, the market is up and if you make as much as I do your taxes will be down, but I doubt you do.
I’d be happy to trade the 30 or 40k in taxes that I’ll save this year for some basic humanity in government. You can’t relate.
Now now such big words. Incompetence I think they were referring to Biden- no brainer
Nothing resembling a cogent statement in that word salad.
You’ve really got to stop commenting while intoxicated.
Try again—in English.
Looks like a party full of happy, white, wealthy, SB liberals who were heading over to the funk zone afterwards for $300 tabs. All smiles!! The swear word sign is a real classic – dude spent the whole day making that, multiple colors and all. Bonus credit for having a kid hold up a sign too. Yikes. No one looks serious there.
Dear Brainwashed Edhat Readers,
I will tell you why this is taking place. It’s because of YOU, who believe you are morally, politically, intellectually, and spiritually superior to your fellow American.
You are moral and cultural relativists. You don’t really know what you believe—your moral compass begins and ends with all Republicans being Evil.
In short, you are worthless brainwashed zombies.
SHIFTER – it’s actually pretty simple. You’re just not very smart. You don’t understand logic, you have no grasp on truth, you’re poorly educated (or just stupid) when it comes to law, civics and basic history.
I know this is hard for you to understand, but don’t bother. The rest of us will fix the puddle of urine that you and you’re kind have created.
Now, until you can explain why you voted for a self admitted sex abuser, convicted felon who was best frienda with a child trafficker who raped children and cheer for hundreds of convicted violent criminals being released into oyr streets despite being convicted of physical assault againts our law enforcement officers and now gulp down lies from racist fascists who blatantly ignore court orders and the Constitution, then your abject and glaring stupidity and/or pure racist cruelty is the only explanation for your feelings.
Now, explain your reasoning or accept and wallow in your failure at fundamental humanity.
Schift….
This cogent, valuable human believes, no, is 1000% certain, I will be on the right side of history.
Your ‘dear leader’ will soon be in the dust bin of history, remembered only as the worst aberration ever foisted upon our Republic and the sane people of America.
Done. Now it’s your turn.
Free? Your entire identity is political. You don’t know what you believe in, either. You just love Republicans. Is that really any different?
You lie and you don’t care that Trump and his goons are acting illegally. You reject application of the law as “activist judges” and “the deep state”. To you, “the Law” is only useful as an instrument of fascism and repression. You cheat on your taxes, run red lights, and park illegally.
“You should look inward for a while. And in the mirror.”
Pure projection … you have never done those things, else you would see the wretched filth that is so evident to the rest of us.
Schiff – And yet you keep commenting on EdHat. If they are delusional, so are you. Maybe you need to take up weed.
Schift….
MY dear leader is NOT a convicted rapist, possible pedophile, traitorous, racist, wannabe king, who is ripping our country to shreds with his non-stop grifting, lies and utter incompetence.
Could’ve should’ve would’ve no facts at all. Just accusations. You must have been with the now nonexistent Democratic Party
The only thing nonexistent around here is any sign of intellect in your comments. Please stop drinking.
I challenge you, just once in your life, to say something intelligent and original.
Or, as an alternative possibility, you’re a clueless dishonest imbecile.
“You are moral and cultural relativists. You don’t really know what you believe—your moral compass begins and ends with all Republicans being Evil.”
That would be moral absolutism.
“In short, you are worthless brainwashed zombies.”
Shouldn’t we think that someone who says such things about us is evil? And that they “believe [they] are morally, politically, intellectually, and spiritually superior to your fellow American”? You clearly are claiming that.
The thing is, it’s always projection with you right wingers.
To call you “brainwashed” would imply you have a brain, so I won’t call you that, it’s too complementary.
I don’t consider myself superior in any way to my fellow Americans as a whole, but the folks you denigrate are most definitely smarter and more humane than you are. I know very well what I believe, and it’s a long list that hell yes INCLUDES believing that Republicans like YOU are evil, anti-American sludge suckers.