Seven million Americans rallied across the country on Saturday to declare “No Kings” for a second time. The numbers have grown since the massive No Kings rallies in June. A reference to Trump ruling lawlessly by executive order since January. People really need to take 15 minutes and read the Constitution. Under the Constitution the president only has two minor powers.
Here is my video of the entire march down Anacapa Street.
The video runs for 27 minutes. There were about 8 people across the street on average. I timed 10 rows of people passing in 15 seconds. 27 x 60 x 8 x 10/15 = 8,640 marchers.
The event started right on time at noon as people packed Alameda Park for a rally and speeches.
Congress member Salud Carbajal emphasized Trump’s attempt to steal the 2026 Congressional election by getting Texas to gerrymander their voting districts. We all need to vote for Proposition 50 to fight back here in California; you have your ballots, get them in! That was his central message.
Assembly member Gregg Hart repeated that message and added the urgency of the situation: That Trump has weaponized every branch of government to carry out his personal vindictive plans. This has nothing to do with our legal system of justice and everything to do with Trump’s rage at being held accountable for his lawless behavior.
Julissa Peña is Executive Director at Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center. Primitiva Hernandez is the Executive Director of 805UndocuFund. They each spoke about the terror that the Trump Administration has created for our fellow Americans without documentation. Many of these Americans have lived here for decades with no path to documentation. Because the Republican Party has blocked all measures for comprehensive immigration reform.
They emphasized that the terror Trump’s masked ICE agents are creating in our community extends to everyone, even citizens. Trump has openly talked of deporting citizens who challenge him. And how can anyone know the intentions or credentials of masked people with no uniform?
Planned Parenthood California Central Coast President and CEO Jenna Tosh explained how Trump’s attacks on Planned Parenthood are actually attacks against health care for poor women in our community. One more example of Trump favoring the wealthy and hurting poor working people.
The final speaker was a researcher at UCSB explaining how Trump’s attacks on scientific research are aiding our global competitors like China.
At this point, the massive crowd poured out of Alameda Park and began to pour out onto Anacapa Street.
Trump is terrified of this massive show of dissent. So his administration preemptively put out disinformation about the event. Including claims that the entire event is a “Hate America” rally. Which led to many signs of love for America and many American flags on display.
Top law enforcement official Attorney General Pam Bondi put out disinformation that No Kings was using mass produced signs funded by “antifa”. Please note that most signs at the rally were individually hand made, unique and creative. And there is no such organization as “antifa” to fund anything.
Trump issued an executive order declaring “antifa” to be a domestic terrorist organization. There are at least two problems with this. There is no such official designation as a “domestic terrorist organization”. More important, there is no such organization as “antifa”. “Antifa” is just short for “anti-fascist”.
My father’s uncles landed on the beach in Normandy to fight fascism in 1944. They were “antifa”. I find it terrifying that people I otherwise respect don’t seem to grasp this. Skeptic Magazine publisher and recent Santa Barbara resident Michael Shermer recently stated that it makes no difference whether “antifa” is an organization or a movement. Do people understand why it makes all the difference in the world for free speech?
This article by the Brennan Center for Justice explains: “Trump’s Orders Targeting Anti-Fascism Aim to Criminalize Opposition”. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trumps-orders-targeting-antifascism-aim-criminalize-opposition
This sign says it clearly:
I was also blown away by all of the creative and fun inflatable characters. I learned that this started in Portland as a fun way to diffuse the vicious attacks by Trump on their laid back city. The attacks even included tear gassing one of the peaceful protesters in an inflatable frog outfit. Hence this inflatable raccoon expressing solidarity with these peaceful creatures.
This inflatable king of the dinosaurs T-rex urged us to Make Kings Prehistoric!
And here was just one of many inflatable frogs.
Trump simultaneously wants to create violence here and abroad and also wants to collect a Nobel Peace Prize. This gentleman had a comment on this.
This was a reminder that tens of millions of Americans voted against Trump.
A simple call for “Science Not Silence” in reference to Trump’s massive cuts to health research and scientific research funding.
A reminder from these aliens that we are all aliens!
I was impressed with how many people I know who are not very political were motivated to turn out because of the dire situation in our country now. Here my fellow hike leader friend Diane simply showed her love for our country with a flag. She is just back from hiking hundreds of miles of the Continental Divide Trail. What better way to love your country?
Pat and Chuck tirelessly volunteer with our Astronomical Unit astronomy club. Chuck cannot believe what has happened to the Republican Party. They kindly posed with my lovely wife Merlie.
The march ended at De La Guerra Plaza, but some people stayed to hold signs and to sing. These people were singing the “Work to be Done” song.
You may recognize artistic mask creators Richard and EJ from Solstice.
Veterans For Peace had a big RV advertising the connection between militarism and the Climate Crisis.
This young man expressed his love and fan support for our country. Noting that he would bet on America to keep beating oppression. We did it against the King of England. We did it against the slave-holding Confederacy. We did it against the Nazis. We can do it again.
People are clearly energized to keep protesting and organizing until law, democracy, justice and humanity are restored. Indivisible Santa Barbara has a Facebook page here where you can find out what is happening next. And a link to sign up for their email list. https://www.facebook.com/indivisiblesantabarbara
And if you want to support the inflatable characters protest, you can donate to Operation Inflation! You can sponsor an inflatable character for $35 each. I have sponsored a few already! Here is their web site. https://www.operationinflation.com/
Thanks for all the photos videos Robert. It was a great day, and I’m hoping the next one will double the participants and last a whole weekend.
The young person’s sign in the last photo is great! It’s so pathetic how the administration as a whole is denouncing these historically massive (largest protest ever) protests as just “old white people” and “radical left lunatics.” These are Americans, just not the kind you see squeezing into booths at Cracker Barrell or listening to racist country singers while cheering violence against the left. They’re the Americans with educations, with compassion, with hope for a better country for ALL of us, not just themselves.
I’m proud to be one of those Americans!
MAGAcrats, AKA Trump supporters, want to control people and their thoughts. They only want to allow beliefs that they agree with. They are the thought police and agree with big government observation of citizens. They want to destroy everything that is not self-serving. They want to know the sex assigned at birth for every child so they are assured their safe space from anyone different. They cant stand minorities or culture. Armed with the MAGA mindsheep virus, these people are banning books and destroying history. This is all identical to how ISIS operated during its land and power grab.
Equating our President and his supporters – over half your fellow Americans, to ISIS is an absolutely absurd statement. It’s laughable. Keep on a rantin’ from your couch all day everyday though. It’s truly entertaining. Just remember if you take up arms against your own government there are consequences. But I doubt couch potatoes do that.
How many times will you repeat that “over half” lie, BI Guy?
MACP – It’s astounding how many MAGAts keep saying that. With the data so easily available, you’d have to be an absolute f*cking MORON, a total dumba** or at least a vile, LYING pos to continue saying the majority (“over half” is what that means, BASICALLYILLITERATE) of Americans voted for and/or favor Trump.
I mean a real pudding brained, slobbering, probably shouldn’t be able to care for oneself imbecile to keep saying that.
I think BASIC here is just a liar and doesn’t care what UCSB thinks about their “professional” employees.
BASIC – in what planet is less than 50% “over half? Also, explain his current support – hovering in the low 40s for approval. How is that “over half?”
You’ve lied enough. No you have a chance to either continue being a lying fool or actually prove to everyone how UNDER 50% is “over half.”
Can you do it? Come on, Doctor. Show us those math skills!
I’ll do it again – if you can prove that he has the support (or even had the votes a year ago) of “over half” of Americans, I will never post here again and issue a public apology for everything I have ever said about all you MAGAts here.
What you got?
*Now you have the chance, not “no.”
And BASIC, it’s not really that absurd. Your kind are violent, religious nationalists who put ideology and worship of a single “man” over your country and even over your party. You are racists who support the violation of rights of certain groups of people based on the way they were born. You are anti-women’s rights and anti-LGBQT rights. You support the use of government-sanctioned military force against those you don’t agree with politically. There are FAR more instances of terrorism carried out by Trump supporters than the left. I mean heck, you even support protecting child rapists just because your guy very likely is one.
Honestly, aside from the Islam part and, yes not yet as violent as ISIS part, you guys are like kinfolk! Why do you think we call you Y’allQaeda?
Basic, Im sorry if your feelings were hurt, but you support a fascist platform. MAGA is the enemy of the people. You are a MAGAcrat.
Nah, if you’re a Trump supporter and you assault cops and try to kill people you just get a pardon.
Heck, just about any crime imaginable, as long as you profess adulation for the orange moron.
Hey BASIC, see my comment about this week’s GOP Nazis in the news.
Now cry some more about how it’s mean to call MAGA racist, fascist, etc etc….. 😭😭😭😭
BasicIQ supports a regime who name calls daily (scum, parasites, terrorists are just a few words Trump and his gang use to describe those with differing opinions). Basic believes in the MAGAcon double standard, “rules for thee but not for me”.
Every single one of your comments on this site from the day you first got here has been absolutely absurd and laughable.
> Keep on a rantin’ from your couch all day everyday though.
Extraordinary projection.
March of the Marxist Queens’
March of the Marxist Queens’ what?
The rube won’t get it. The English language isn’t his empty intellectual lexicon.
I know, but it amused me, and that’s why I do what I do–for my own entertainment.
Robert –
Nice overview, but I have *never* been a Republican.
Thanks for the clarification, we’ve made the correction.
-ed
Looks like the new Fiesta parade for SB! Honestly, I do hope all of those garbage plastic costumes get reused for Halloween instead of tossed in the landfill. Party on folks!
They didn’t use the Capitol building as a bathroom unlike the MAGAcans.
“Antifa” is short for anti-fascist. It’s actually a compliment: What person who isn’t powerful would want a system that destroys personal freedom and rights and enriches the policially connected?
After standing for an hour in the sun, many older and less able people did not march.
The sudden addition of “Love America” rally is even funnier than when they added “mostly peaceful”….
STEVE – name one single act of violence by any protester this weekend.
Of course you can’t.
It’s really getting funny listening to the MAGA movement still crying, “Don’t call us Nazis! Don’t call us racists!”
As if JD Vance defending the adult GOP members who shared racist, pro-rape, sexist, Nazi-loving texts wasn’t enough last week, this week we have some more GOP supported Nazis in the news!
“I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it” and “MLK Jr was the 1960s George Floyd and his “holiday” should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/paul-ingrassia-trump-senate.html
Let’s not forget the new candidate for the Senate from Maine and his Nazi SS tattoo that was revealed this week…..
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/us/politics/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-maine.html
Tell us some more, MAGAts, how your side isn’t filled with racists and Nazis. We’re all listening……
Umm… The tattoo in question was on the chest of the Democratic candidate, though he has had it removed.
It was a bad choice under the influence of alcohol and fellow Marines deployed in Croatia.
MAC – which is why no one is defending it and he’s apologizing and having it removed. But yeah…. I did miss that one!
Open State Street!! That is the most important cosmic matter in the universal scheme of things….Capish?
Only if you’re a nitwit.
Progressives….no sense of humor.
No humor was detectable.