Thousands of protesters lined the streets at the El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road intersection on Saturday afternoon for a “No Kings” street fest, which included live music and booths set up by local advocacy groups. Vehicles passing through the intersection honked in support as protestors held signs criticizing the second Trump administration on its actions regarding immigration, civil rights, foreign policy and more.
The event is part of a larger movement across the nation called “No Kings,” which held its third nationwide protest on Saturday.
Indivisible Palo Alto Plus member Brian Eaton said the movement is meant to be a show of force against the current administration.
“The purpose of the overall No Kings protest is a show of force because we want to demonstrate that we can mobilize, hopefully, the largest protest in American history against government overreach,” Eaton said.
Nicolo Martinez, a community member who attended, said she has been participating in similar protests since last year.
“It’s really important for people to come together and show that they’re against a number of the actions of the administration,” Martinez said.
Palo Alto resident Cherrill Spencer said she attended the protest to advocate for people affected by the Trump administration’s actions.
“I came here today to help the thousands of other people who are sick and tired of what the president and his cabinet are doing to take away democracy, to wage illegal wars, to keep modernizing nuclear weapons,” Spencer said.
According to Spencer, more working people were able to join the protest due to it being held on Saturday, increasing the scale of the event. As such, Martinez said the event is an opportunity for grassroots organizations to expand their reach.
“Behind the scenes, there’s a number of groups that have been organizing,” Martinez said. “So with people coming to these protests, it’s an entry point for them to do additional activities and organizing.”
Spencer, who is a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, said the organization holds rallies every Friday at the same place across from Palo Alto High School to spread awareness of democratic backsliding.
“We see Paly High School students coming for their lunch on Fridays, and we’d like them to pay attention to our signs and think about their own future,” Spencer said. “We’re doing this for the future of young people, so you don’t have to suffer a nuclear war, so you don’t have to suffer (from) climate change.”
Judah Hansen, a sophomore at Mid-Peninsula High School who participated in the event, said he thinks people should speak out even if they are not directly affected by the administration’s policies.
“A great proportion of people are experiencing injustice right now under Trump, especially people in the lower class, people (who are) minorities,” Hansen said. “It’s very important that people speak out about that. Just about everybody’s going to find that somebody (they) know is affected in some way.”
Hansen, who was handing out candy and signs, said he wants to do more than just be a passive participant.
“(Somebody) has to help make the protest a more enjoyable experience and get people coming back,” Hansen said.
Martinez said she hopes to see youth take on leadership in advocacy groups.
“I’m so sorry about the state of the world that’s being passed on, and certainly I want to be part of passing on a longer, better world,” Martinez said. “A lot of youth are out there also leading and showing what they think will be a better world.”
Jessica Ritcher, who hosted a booth for “Get It Out, Art for the Current Moment,” an art activism project designed to promote activists’ voices, said she is concerned about the country’s future. Like Martinez, Richter said she wants high schoolers to be more involved in their organization.
“It’s about getting out our thoughts and feelings about what’s happening,” Richter said. “We need to … keep expressing our resistance. Don’t silence ourselves. And vote.”
Eaton said the protest gives him hope.
“I’m a part of something bigger, and that’s fantastic,” Eaton said. “It feels really good.”
Ultimately, Eaton said the community needs unity.
“What I would like to tell people is that when we fight, we win,” Eaton said. “It’s very important that they find other people to work with and that we fight together. I think the overall goal is to make our society stronger and more resilient and create communities that care about each other. There is absolutely no reason we have to live this way. We just need to fight for a better world.”
