LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Los Angeles and across Southern California on Saturday for marches and rallies as part of nationwide “No Kings” protests of immigration enforcement and other Trump administration policies.
The event scheduled at Gloria Molina Grand Park, across from City Hall, is one of several thousand planned in communities across the country. A rally is set to begin at 2 p.m., followed by a march at 3 p.m., according to organizers.
In anticipation of the crowds, Caltrans crews Friday placed security gates along on- and off-ramps to the 101 Freeway in the downtown area. During previous “No Kings” protests in downtown L.A., some participants moved onto freeway lanes, temporarily blocking traffic.
The preparations come ahead of what organizers expect to be one of the largest demonstrations in the region.
“As unconstitutional deportations and inhumane treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers continue across the United States, and as illegal and unauthorized wars are perpetrated around the globe, Los Angeles unites in solidarity with a peaceful march and rally,” organizers said in a statement.
Scheduled speakers include actress Jodie Sweetin and Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association.
“A lot of people want to help, they just don’t know where to start,” Emily Williams, a lead organizer for 50501 SoCal, said in a statement. “No Kings is that starting point. It’s about community, about showing up for each other, and about turning concern into real action you can be part of.”
Dozens of “No Kings” protests will be held across Southern California this weekend to demonstrate against the Trump administration.
Organizers said participants are expected to carry large helium-filled balloons depicting President Donald Trump, along with handmade signs, during a roughly 1.5-mile march beginning on Spring Street.
The organizers will call for the impeachment and removal of the Trump administration and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“The president thinks his rule is absolute,” according to the No Kings website. “But in America, we don’t have kings — and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger. No Kings’ is more than just a slogan; it is the foundation our nation was built upon.”
A separate rally and march is also planned in Encino, where more than 1,000 people are expected to gather at 11 a.m. at Ventura Boulevard and Hayvenhurst Avenue, according to organizers.
The event will include remarks from Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, former Biden administration adviser Jake Levine and other speakers before participants march along Ventura Boulevard.
Biggest crowds yet expected
U.S. organizers have estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October. This week they told reporters they expected 9 million participants Saturday, though it was too early to tell whether those expectations were met.
Organizers said more than 3,100 events – 500 more than in October – were registered, in all 50 states.
In Topeka, Kansas, a rally outside the Statehouse had people impersonating a frog king and Trump as a baby. Wendy Wyatt drove with “Cats Against Trump” sign from Lawrence, 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the east, and planned to drive back to her hometown for a later rally there.
Wyatt said “there are so many things” about the Trump administration that upset her, but “this is very hopeful to me.”
GOP officials dismissive of protests
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized them as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.
The “only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” Jackson said in a statement.
The National Republican Congressional Committee was also sharply critical.
“These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone,” NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said.
Protesters have a long list of causes
The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, particularly in Minnesota, were just one item on a long list of protester grievances that also included the war in Iran and the rollback of transgender rights.
In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial and into the National Mall, holding signs that read “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Demonstrators rang bells, played drums and chanted “No kings.”
Bill Jarcho was there from Seattle, joined by six people dressed as insects wearing tactical vests that said, “LICE,” spoofing ICE as part of what he called a “mock and awe” tour.
“What we provide is mockery to the king,” Jarcho said. “It’s about taking authoritarianism and making fun of it, which they hate.”
About 40,000 people marched in a “No Kings” event in San Diego, police there said.
City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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