Protesters filled the streets on Saturday, marching at noon from Dolores Park to the Civic Center as part of the nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests. Thousands of protests were organized across all 50 states as a rejection of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Organizers called it a “nationwide day of defiance” to “reject authoritarianism”. They coincided with both a planned military parade in Washington D.C. and Trump’s 79th birthday.
A protester leads a chant as people make their way down Market Street. |Photo: Cheryl L. Guerrero/Hoodline
The city also hosted an earlier protest at Ocean Beach Saturday morning. Hundreds of protesters there created a human banner that read “NO KING!” Marches and protests were also held across other Bay Area cities, including Oakland, Berkeley, San José, Palo Alto, Alameda, and Fremont.
Though there were reports of a vehicle ramming protesters a couple of blocks from the march on Duboce Street near Guerrero Street, the march itself was peaceful with protesters chanting as they made their way up Dolores and Market Streets. Cars honked in support as the crowd turned up Van Ness to head to the Civic Center.
Recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and arrests in the city, as well as around the Bay Area and the rest of the state, were another factor spurring people to show up for the protests. Many held signs in support of immigrants and denouncing ICE.
A woman holds a "Families belong together" sign in support of immigrants. |Photo: Cheryl L. Guerrero/Hoodline
“We have been defending immigrants in our Sanctuary City for decades,” a speaker from Mission Action SF told the crowd in front of City Hall, “but we cannot do this work alone. This is not just a struggle for immigrant rights organizations or for immigrants and their families, this is a struggle for all of us.”
A woman holds a protest sign in Civic Center. |Photo: Cheryl L. Guerrero/Hoodline
Katherine and Jeanne from San Francisco joined the march to protest not only the immigration raids but also what they consider to be the “destruction of the government”.
“I’m here to show Trump and the MAGA people what democracy looks like,” Jeanne added.
Here are more photos from the protest:
Protesters make their way up Dolores Street.
People gathered in Dolores Park before the march to Civic Center.
The crowd listens to speakers in front of City Hall.
Elon Musk adorned more than one sign of the day.
A small group of Trump supporters were met with chants of "Shame" and booing.
People gather in front of Dolores Park before the march to City Hall.
Protesters chant as they make their way up Van Ness Avenue.
Doggie Dog wore a "No King" pin, while accompanying her person Jorge Luis Toro in Dolores Park.
Drummers kept the beat all afternoon in Civic Center.
Marchers were still pouring into Civic Center at 1:30 p.m.
The opening banner of the march.
