From the Bay to the Boulevards: San Diego Joins the Nation in ‘No Kings’ Marches

By Staff Writer | San Diego Monitor News | October 19, 2025

SAN DIEGO — On Saturday morning, the waterside plaza at Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego became a gathering point for one of more than a dozen locally organized demonstrations under the banner of the No Kings Protests movement. Supporters, activists and on-lookers assembled for a two-hour rally and march beginning at approximately 10 a.m., while parallel events were held in neighborhoods and municipalities across San Diego County and in cities nationwide. The “No Kings” protests are a coordinated series of demonstrations opposing what participants describe as the increasing consolidation of executive power under Donald Trump’s second presidency. Organizers and participants say the slogan “No Kings” refers to what they believe is an erosion of democratic norms, including expansive use of executive actions, deployment of federal forces in local jurisdictions, aggressive immigration enforcement, and a widening gap between government power and individual rights.

In San Diego, county-wide listings ahead of the weekend showed 17 separate “No Kings” gatherings scheduled, including in downtown, Carmel Valley, Mira Mesa, La Jolla, Carlsbad and El Cajon. The main rally downtown was slated for 10 a.m. to noon at Waterfront Park. Other sites across the county featured smaller gatherings—typically held in public parks or at busy intersections. Organizers emphasized that the events were meant to be peaceful and lawful. One neighborhood message urged “a commitment to non-violent action” and asked participants to avoid weapons, engage respectfully and observe their public rights. While an exact count for the downtown San Diego event this weekend has not been published, prior rallies provide context: on June 14, a “No Kings Day” rally downtown drew an estimated 60,000 or more participants per KPBS Public Media. At this weekend’s downtown rally, speakers and participants voiced themes central to the movement: concerns over executive overreach, apprehension about what they see as threats to democratic institutions, and the idea that no one in the U.S. should hold unchecked power. Some attendees carried banners or wore symbolic imagery and referenced the national-network of “No Kings” demonstrations. San Diego law-enforcement noted that the gatherings proceeded without major incident, with manageable traffic and no significant reports of unrest.

Beyond San Diego, the “No Kings” protests on Saturday were part of a massive national mobilization. Organizers estimate more than 2,700 separate events took place across all 50 states. Major-city participation included rallies in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago—sites where participant estimates ranged into the hundreds of thousands. What distinguishes the San Diego effort is its geographic spread within the county. Instead of a single flagship location, the movement coordinated multiple simultaneous sites—coastal (Pacific Beach, La Jolla), inland (Rancho Bernardo, Ramona) and suburban (Vista, Carlsbad). This distribution enabled more localized participation and likely diffused congestion, although it also required more volunteers and coordination.

Voices from the Crowd

“We are here because we believe no one is above the Constitution,” said Jackson Oswald, a participant at the Carlsbad location told ABC 10 News San Diego.

“It was encouraging to see so many people gather peacefully today,” commented San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, acknowledging the size and nature of the turnout the Chief told NBC San Diego.

Ron Penn, a military veteran attending the downtown rally, said of the administration’s budget plan: “It’s absolutely criminal … that bill is taking from the most marginalized and giving to people who don’t need it" Penn told Inewssource.

Looking Ahead

As with any large public demonstration, several elements merit local attention: transit and traffic disruptions in downtown, especially given the rally’s proximity to Waterfront Park and trolley lines; the role of volunteer marshals and city-agency coordination in ensuring the event stayed peaceful; and the question of how this weekend’s mobilization advances the broader aims of the “No Kings” network.

The movement’s immediate aim—visible mass gatherings rejecting centralized power or perceived executive overreach—is clear. But whether the widespread participation in San Diego and elsewhere will translate into tangible policy shifts, electoral outcomes or sustained civic engagement remains uncertain. For Saturday in San Diego and across the country, however, the message was unmistakable: thousands turned out, local sites spread across communities, and the motif “No Kings” offered a rallying cry against a particular vision of leadership. The challenge now for participants and observers alike is what comes next. Will this wave of civic energy evolve into organized local chapters, persistent campaigns, or policy advocacy—or will it return to a moment in time? For San Diego, the weekend may mark both a snapshot of current sentiment and a potential waypoint in the ongoing story of democratic participation.