Thousands rally for ‘No Kings’ in Sacramento area: ‘Here to find community’
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- Approximately 7,000 people rallied at the Capitol; thousands more protested regionally.
- Organizers linked protests to national No Kings actions and cited authoritarian acts.
- Speakers cited ICE actions, the federal shutdown and threats to civil rights.
Sacramento resident Holly Laird came to the “No Kings” protest at the state Capitol on Saturday with her son Kieran Laird, 1, her husband Jeff Laird and her mother-in-law Laura Kirn of Mariposa.
They wanted all three of their generations to resist the administration, but that wasn’t all that brought them out.
“I think it’s important to be here to find community in these times because it feels really bleak most days,” Holly Laird said. “But to find other people who feel the same way is important, even though it feels a lot of times like we’re losing the battle for democracy.”
Across the region Saturday, people found one another to protest Donald Trump’s presidency. An estimated 7,000 people attended a protest at the Capitol grounds, at least 2,000 people also protested near the Galleria Mall in Roseville and events were held in a variety of other cities around the region, including Elk Grove, Folsom and Auburn.
It was part of a planned day of national action. A “No Kings” spokesperson claimed in a news release on Saturday afternoon that close to 7 million people had gathered in more than 2,700 cities and towns.
National day of action
Saturday’s protests followed a first “No Kings” day on June 14. That day, more than 5 million people across the country participated, including about 5,000 people at the California state Capitol. That event was held the same day as a Washington, D.C. military parade that celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s birthday.
The second “No Kings” protests coincided with a 250th anniversary celebration held at Camp Pendleton in Southern California for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The protests also took place amid a federal government shutdown and what organizers call overreach by the White House. Organizers said they were protesting authoritarian acts, including the targeting of immigrants for deportation, the deployment of the National Guard in U.S. cities and attacks on various protections.
In Boston, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, spoke at a rally on the Boston Common, according to NBC News. “When we don’t bow down to kings or bullies, they start to lose their power,” Warren told the crowd. “So now is the time for us to say it clearly, do we bow down to Kings? Do we bow down to bullies? Do we bow down to Donald Trump? No, the American people do not bow down.”
In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke to thousands of people during a “No Kings” rally at Grant Park. The city has had U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE officers making arrests. The president has also recently sent American troops to the city.
“Donald Trump is using ICE as his private, militarized occupying force,” Johnson said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “But we are saying emphatically clear: we do not want troops in our city.”
In New York City, police estimated more than 20,000 people at Times Square for “No Kings,” the BBC noted. There were also other protests planned around the boroughs. “I care a lot about New York City,” freelance writer and editor Beth Zasloff told the outlet. “It gives me hope to be out here with many, many other people.”
Capitol rally attendees weigh in
Around 9 a.m. Saturday, about 300 Sacramento residents rallied at Sutter’s Fort. Sylvia Grovaz, who traveled to Sacramento from Napa, said she’s protesting in solidarity of her parents, who are Mexican immigrants.
She said that even though she and her parents are U.S. citizens, the increased ICE actions have made them wary of being seized.
“My parents, they carry their passports everywhere with them because they’re scared. They’re scared they’re going to be stopped,” Grovaz said. “Now, because you’re brown, doesn’t matter if you’re a citizen or not… I can be targeted just because of the color of my skin, what I’m wearing, or if I’m talking in Spanish in public.”
Protesters gathered at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park and marched to the west steps of the Capitol. The marchers headed to the Capitol, joining protesters carrying American flags and anti-Trump signs. Sacramento police said that 7,000 people protested at the state Capitol, with no arrests.
Among the marchers was Elk Grove resident Tanya Allen, 35, who wore a hippo costume. Allen was asked as they were at 15th and L streets, across from the Capitol grounds, why they were wearing a hippo costume.
“I think it’s to show that we are not violent people,” Allen said. “We are Americans who believe in our constitutional rights and our freedoms.”
Allen was not the only protester in Sacramento dressed as a hippo, with the Detroit Free-Press describing it as a recent trend spurred by an incident in Portland.
Attendees in Sacramento included Shawn Brower and Daniel Belshe, both dressed up in an inflatable hippo and dinosaur costume, who have been together for 12 years, married for one. As a gay couple, the two are worried they’ll lose their rights as a married couple.
“I feel like we’re under constant attack,” Brower said. “We’ve been battling for our rights. I’m 56 years old, and it feels like it’s never ending.
Trump’s policy has also affected the two’s professional lives. Brower, who works in importing said having to manage tariffs has made his sourcing in his job “a nightmare.” For Belshe, the Trump administration’s rollback on public lands and property has caused significant conflict environmentalism job.
“We have a huge fight ahead of us in the next three years,” Belshe said.
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento was among the people to speak at the state Capitol once protesters arrived.
Matsui said the Trump administration is trying to “dismantle our democracy” by shutting down the federal government, “taking health care away,” and increasing ICE actions. She added that the protest is a demonstration that Sacramento will not cower in fear.
“Here in Sacramento, we believe leadership means compassion, not chaos.” Matsui said. “It means fighting to protect your healthcare… get in there to defend your right to lift people up, not tear them down.”
Other speakers at the Capitol grounds on Saturday included: Sal Nicolazzo, an assistant professor of English at University of California, Davis; California State Assemblywoman Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento; and Flojaune Cofer, who lost a close race to Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty last year.
“What I think about are the many instances where our foremothers and forefathers have been up against regimes that have been harsh and cruel and have attempted to take away our rights,” Cofer said. “And they didn’t give up and neither will we.”
Protest near the Galleria Mall in Roseville
At least 2,000 people gathered for the “No Kings” protest near the Galleria Mall in Roseville on Saturday morning, based on estimates from police and an event organizer.
Protesters lined the sides of the road. Cars streamed past on both sides, honking and waving in solidarity. Flags rippled as people held up signs that were some defiant, some playful, with messages from “Don’t piss off old people” to “ICE: Ignoring Constitutional Equality.”
The crowd’s energy was loud but hopeful, with different issues helping motivate protesters.
“I have (undocumented) friends who unfortunately didn’t get to be here by the right means, but they’ve lived their entire lives here,” said Malo Ealom, 26. “All they know is America. They eat, breathe, sweat, dream America, and yet they have to hide in their houses. They don’t feel safe going anywhere.”
Sue Bassett, 82 of Citrus Heights, said her nephew had been laid off from the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. due to Trump’s budget cuts.
“He has lots of seniority, so he could have retired,” Bassett said of her nephew. “But his boss, when he asked him when he got the letter — the one that said, ‘Do you want to take early retirement?’ — his boss said, ‘Don’t do anything. Just sit still.’ So it’s been another year for him, but he’s now officially furloughed.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 2:48 PM.
