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Kensie Pao

More than 5,000 protesters marched from Town and Country to Rinconada Park on Saturday afternoon, joining a nationwide “No Kings” movement to defend democracy and human rights.

The march ended with a Democracy Fair featuring music, speakers, workshops and performances.

Rising Palo Alto High School senior Izzy Grodnitzky said she attended both the march and fair because of her concerns regarding recent government actions toward immigration policy.

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“It’s really horrifying that the government is helping kidnap innocent people off the streets,” Grodnitzky said. “They’re bringing in the National Guard and the Marines — people who know how to kill people — against their own citizens.”

Santa Clara resident Martin Bell, who wore a chicken costume as a form of protest, said humor is a powerful political tool.

“Mockery is the most effective weapon against this particular enemy, to get under his skin,” Bell said. “That’s my goal: poke the authority.”

Bell also stressed the importance of mutual respect with growing political division.

“Human dignity is so rare that it’s not even on the table in terms of the conversation,” Bell said. “We all matter. I won’t dehumanize my enemies; they’re all worthy of human dignity.”

Musician and activist Joan Baez, who spoke at the event, told the crowd that building community and finding spaces to celebrate is important.

“All of this is resistance,” Baez said. “It’s lovely — it’s music, it’s caring, it’s beauty, it’s art. It’s all of the things that are bringing us out of what they want us to be. They want us to be submissive, downtrodden and miserable.”

Stanford professor of political science Larry Diamond, who also spoke at the event, urged the community to stay focused amid political instability.

“We owe it to everything we believe in,” Diamond said. “We will not allow them to turn our democracy into an autocracy.”

This story is a joint effort between The Campanile and Verde Magazine.