No Kings rally in Santa Ana draws large crowd

The second nationwide No King’s rally took place on October 18, at Centennial Park in Santa Ana, drawing a crowd of 12,000 according to officials.

Thousands of protestors lined five rows of people, took up the entire sidewalk on Edinger Avenue and Fairview Street, stretching along each street for almost a mile. Some drove by honking in support or handed out supplies to protestors.

“I would say it was larger than the last one, and the last one was pretty big,” said Byron Lopez, co-chair of the Orange County Democratic Socialists of America. He was at one of the 30 tents at the protest representing different community organizations.

The event was organized by the 50501 Orange County, Women for American Values and Ethics and the OC Indivisible Coalition, whose parent organization faced backlash from these protests.

Upside down flags have become a common sight to see at protests. Photo by Simran Patel / el Don

“Trump has declared Indivisible, a domestic terrorist organization. He’s called us out by name multiple times in the last couple of months….he definitely thinks that we are card-carrying members of Antifa, which is apparently a very well-organized group that I was totally unaware of,” said Amy Stevens, an organizer from Indivisible CA 40.

The main unifying issue the protesters were standing for was the return to American ideals and the Constitution.

“Working-class people are not going to back down. We’re not going to stay silent as they’re stripping our health care, as they’re defunding public education, and as they are trying to strip us from our free speech, we will continue to challenge this country until there’s liberty and justice for all,” said Santa Ana City Councilmember, Johnathan Hernandez. “I recognize the government that is threatening us, and I felt that our local government should be present.”

Officials estimate 45,000 people attended protests across Orange County, ranging in age, race and political background.

Although the event was mainly anti-Trump, some people were also taking a stand against the current Democratic leadership.

People driving by in cars handed out water to protesters. Photo by Simran Patel / el Don

“Everyone I’ve talked to who came to our tent, generally, they fucking hate the moderate Democrats in control of the party. They’re sick and tired of the moderate Democrat system of saying and doing nothing. It is the reason they lost in 2024, and ultimately, we need to take increasingly drastic actions to fight off an increasingly violent and unconstitutional regime,” said Lopez.

Others had signs advocating specific issues, the most prominent being anti-ICE, pro-Palestine, pro-LBGTQ or anti-billionaire.

President Trump said the protest was made up of only “radical left lunatics”; however, there were republicans in attendance at this event. One man held up a sign reading “moderate republicans against Trump”, and multiple Republican speakers voiced support of the no kings movement.

“My party seems to be turning a blind eye to Trump having been convicted of many crimes,” said Nancy, a Republican party member for the past 50 years. “I will never vote for a Republican again. I am not a RINO. I did not leave the party, the party left me. And I will resist being a part of a cult. I will never be a Trumpian,” she continued in her speech.

Other speakers included multiple veterans, senators and Councilmember Hernandez.

Hernandez noted that the attack on communities by militarized police, who use tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters, was particularly important for Santa Ana residents, who saw these things firsthand during ICE protests.

“I want to make sure people are using their voice and that they know that if you disagree with Trump’s policies, you can push your local government to reflect a government that you know will protect your family,” said Hernandez. “I think those are some areas where we may have an authoritarian president, but we don’t have to have that in local government.”

The protests received some criticism about their lack of impact.

“A lot of people ask, like, what’s the purpose of protest? Like, you guys have been protesting for months, and Trump is still an asshole. And I think that is just because people are maybe looking at it a little bit wrong,” said Stevens. “So to me, and I think to our organizers, the purpose of protest is really about activating people, helping them engage in what’s happening.”

Organizers also noted that since the first No Kings protest, they’ve had a boom in participation for their groups.

“I’m a firm believer that protests by themselves don’t really do much. I think it’s really the organizing that comes before and after protests that really does the work,” said Lopez.

Across the nation, 7 million people participated in No King’s protests. Trump responded to the protests with an AI-generated post on his platform, Truth Social, of him with a crown on in a fighter jet defecating on a group of protestors.