Tens of thousands of people — many carrying signs, waving flags and dressed in costumes — took to the streets in San Diego County Saturday for “No Kings” rallies and marches, part of a nationwide protest against President Donald Trump’s policies.
It’s the second “No Kings” protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide.
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Organizers stressed the peaceful nature of the protests: “A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
Following the event, SDPD took to their social media to thank the attendees posting on X, “Thanks to the more than 25,000 people who came out and exercised their first amendment right peacefully and responsibly. Once again, no one was arrested. Thank you for keeping it classy San Diego”
The last “No Kings” protests drew tens of thousands of people to downtown San Diego. There were three events in downtown on Saturday, which drew a similar amount of demonstrators as last time. The two main actions took place at Civic Center Plaza, whose attendees marched over to Waterfront Park, where they linked up with other protesters and continued a 2-mile march down North Harbor Drive to West Harbor Drive, then back up to Waterfront Park at Ash Street.
Speakers at the Waterfront Park rally in front of downtown San Diego’s County Administration Center included County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, who said she was grateful to see so many people at the rally, urging them to stay involved by voting and attending county Board of Supervisors meetings.
“Trump may not leave the White House after his second term ends, and we need to be thinking about the future,” Montgomery Steppe said.
Crystal Irving, president of the Service Employees International Union, Local 221, also addressed the crowd.
“I’m feeling a lot of energy to resist today,” she said. “Billionaire greed is stripping away rights and services from people who need them the most. The opposition has realized that it doesn’t have to get along to hurt us. We have to help each other and win for democracy.”
Other speakers included union activist Patricia Velasquez, Bobby Wallace of the Kumeyaay Nation, and Allison Gill, a political activist and podcast host.
“We will get through these times,” Wallace said. “We have to be like fingers on a hand and cannot be separated.”
Gill noted how diverse the crowd was in terms of the generations, and said the rally is the kind of protest Trump is trying to stop.
“He is weak and he is scared, and we can beat him,” Gill said.
Some marchers wore inflatable costumes, while one was dressed as Captain America, complete with the iconic shield. As they marched, participants chanted, “we are the people, the mighty, mighty people” and “hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”
One person was spotted riding a bike sporting a pro-Trump flag, apparently shadowed by another bicyclist playing music from “The Benny Hill Show.”
Millions were expected to turn out throughout the nation on Saturday, and organizers expected participation to far exceed the 5 million demonstrators who turned out for June 14’s No Kings day, according to NBC News. That event was on the same day, Trump’s birthday, that a military parade was held in D.C. to honor the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. On Saturday, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were at Camp Pendleton for an event commemorating the U.S. Marine’s 250th.
Trump’s crackdown against protests, especially in Democratic cities, has intensified since the June marches. He has since sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn. His efforts to deploy troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have stalled in federal court.
The “No Kings” organizers have led numerous virtual safety trainings leading up to the protests with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is listed as an official partner on the “No Kings” website. Each official protest has a safety plan, which includes designated medics and emergency meeting spots.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, framed the protests as a “Hate America rally.”
“Let’s see who shows up for that,” he said earlier this week. “I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display. The people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic, and that’s what we’re here doing every single day.”
No incidents were reported at the Waterfront Park event along the Embarcadero as of 12:30 p.m. Some protesters were seen thanking police officers who were staged nearby.
‘No Kings’ rallies planned in San Diego County
Here’s where protests were planned for Saturday around San Diego County (traffic was expected to be disrupted near the downtown march, but the other events were planned for sidewalks and parks):
‘No Kings’ Protests Saturday Oct. 18, 2025
Click a circle on the map to learn more about a protest, zoom out to see more protests happening around the world.
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Source: No Kings
San Diego
Downtown:
- Civic Center Plaza: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Ruocco Park: 9:30-11:30 a.m. (kids and parents); 585 Harbor Lane
- Waterfront Park: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; 1600 Pacific Highway
Around the city:
- Carmel Valley: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Carmel Country Road and Del Mar Heights Road
- College Area: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Montezuma Road and College Avenue
- La Jolla: 10-11:30 a.m.; Girard Avenue and Pearl Street
- Mira Mesa: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; corner of Mira Mesa Bouleveard and Westview Parkway
- Pacific Beach: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Ingraham Street and Riviera Drive
- Rancho Bernardo: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Rancho Bernardo Road & Bernardo Center Drive
Around the county
- Borrego Springs: 1-2 p.m.; 571 Palm Canyon Drive
- Carlsbad: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Carlsbad Boulevard and Pine Avenue
- Chula Vista: 10-11:30 a.m.; Birch Road and Millenia Avenue
- El Cajon: 10 a.m.-12 p.m;. Fletcher Parkway and Magnolia Avenue
- Ramona: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; sign up for event location
- San Marcos: 4-5:30 p.m.; West San Marcos Boulevard and Grand Avenue
- Vista: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; East Vista Way and Civic Center Drive (Wildwood Park)
The Associated Press contributed to this report — Ed.
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