A brilliant fall day burned down on thousands of people in Santa Barbara’s Alameda Park taking part in the No Kings rally on Saturday afternoon. Even earlier, Santa Barbarans in Oxford, England, were holding their own small rally to fight for democracy, reported Cynthia Carbone Ward. “At first it was just the two of us, but folks approached us, young and old, from all over the world, with thumbs up, supportive comments, and earnest questions. Our gathering grew, and we all felt more hopeful.”
Closer to home, Marianne Partridge was part of a boisterous crowd in Lompoc of more than 500 people who stood peacefully at Central and H streets. “A constant stream of cars honking in support drove by, including a group of vintage car enthusiasts,” said Partridge, who is the Independent‘s editor in chief. Lots of people were costumed, including as a chicken and a California black bear: “The bear marched back and forth across H Street carrying a ‘Vote Yes on Prop 50’ sign until his costume began to deflate.”
In Santa Ynez, the No Kings demonstration found solidarity in the valley as passing cars honked their agreement, Sharon Ritche and Diane Siegal told the Independent. “I love America because to be an American makes me so proud,” said one participant, while Denver Marsk said, “I’m here because I feel my rights are being trampled, especially the right to free speech.”
“I am here to support loved ones,” said a man named Jesse. “Coming from a Latino family, it’s hard with what we’re all going through.”
Even before the rally in the City of Santa Barbara began at noon, Rick Closson, who was dressed in prisoner stripes and a sign reminding that Trump was a felon, was at the intersection waving at cars driving by. “The country is headed in the wrong direction,” said Closson. “You’ve gotta do something, and rallies like this is how we stand up to the incremental loss of liberty we’re experiencing.”
Nearby, County Supervisor Laura Capps was walking into Alameda Park with her dog. “We have to show up,” she stated. “Talk about big and beautiful!” Capps said of the crowd that was already gathering.
Frogs were in abundance, the antithesis of the “Antifa” bogey, to recall the Portland man who was wearing an inflatable frog costume when an ICE agent sent pepper-spray right into his costume’s vent. “I’m here in solidarity for frogs,” said Caroline Gudorf, who was working up a sweat standing in the sun in an inflated frog costume. As she moved into the shade of a tree, she said, “This is important. We have to stand together.”
Across the nation and around the world, more than 2,600 protests were ongoing in protest of Donald Trump’s autocratic presidency, said Myra Paige, who kicked off the rally for Indivisible Santa Barbara. She spoke of the cruelty Trump was inflicting on Americans and how he’d destroyed democracy in only 10 months, cracking down on immigration and sending National Guard troops into cities with Democrat mayors, and causing the federal shutdown, the loss of grants and funding to universities and healthcare, and the hollowing out of federal agencies.
“Not one Republican will stand up to him for the country they serve,” said Paige. “We are not drifting toward authoritarianism. We are there.”
A theme for the rally was the upcoming elections: “The 2026 election is our chance to get on an even footing in Congress,” said Paige. “Vote Yes on Prop 50!” (The November 4 ballot measure would redraw California electoral districts to add more Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. Texas has enacted a similar redistricting, but to add Republican seats.)
The crowd cheered as they waved a multitude of hand-made signs:
If You Aren’t ANTI-FASCIST, What Are You?
Here 4 Those 2 Afraid
I will be able to tell my grandkids I Did Not Stay Silent
Make Racists Wrong Again
Grab ’em by the Midterms Vote!
Salud Carbajal was up next for Prop. 50: “We need to win back the majority in Congress and stop Trump … and the freakin’ corruption,” Santa Barbara’s congressmember said. Under Trump, about 75,000 people will lose their health insurance outright or will be paying twice as much, just so that rich people and corporations could continue to get tax breaks, said Carbajal of the stakes at hand.
“We have a chance to lead by passing Prop. 50,” urged Assemblymember Gregg Hart. “This is how Californians can say no to Trump’s rigged system. There’s only one bubble on the ballot. It’s in your kitchen! Go get it out. Fill it out. Put it in the mailbox. Everybody needs to vote!” Hart announced, starting a chorus of “Stop Trump! Yes on 50!”
California’s historic founding through Spain and Mexico makes immigration matters a particularly heartfelt subject in Santa Barbara. Two stalwarts of the current immigration fray — Julissa Peña of the Immigration Legal Defense Center and Primitiva Hernandez of 805Undocufund — spoke powerfully of the families and individuals disappearing overnight, a “state sanctioned cruelty masquerading as national security,” Peña called it. Defending the rights of immigrants wasn’t charity, she said, it was an act of solidarity, the very fight for democracy — “because a government that can strip rights from one group can and will strip them from all of us.”
Hernandez, too, said people must stand up: “Only people can save people,” she said, not politicians, not corporations, not kings. “Our liberation will come from us, the community that will not be silenced, will not be erased.” She said the assault on the community was also being waged on education, healthcare, and reproductive rights. In the county, officials were complying instead of resisting, she argued, transferring undocumented residents, as the crowd booed. “When justice calls, will you use your voice? your privilege?” she asked.
The transfers Hernandez meant were the patients at County Public Health who were being transferred to other providers, because Public Health was losing funding for them. Financial losses also assailed Planned Parenthood, said Jenna Tosh, CEO of the Central Coast’s Action Fund, who spoke of the myriad services at risk. UC Santa Barbara grad student Madeline Vailhe continued the healthcare thread, recounting not only the losses in health-related research at the university but the continuity in researchers, as well.
The march soon got underway as rally-goers walked, led dogs, pushed strollers, biked, leaned on canes or crutches or walkers, all headed for De la Guerra Plaza. Ruth Sack was being pushed in a wheelchair by her daughter. She said she was 98 years old and had been attending political rallies most of her life. “It’s wonderful to see all these people here,” Sack said, “especially the young ones.” Her daughter Tamara Sack said her mother always said to speak up for themselves, especially now, in the face of an oppressive tyranny and fascism.
LJ, who held the stars-and-stripes in a distress configuration said, “We’re here because our democracy is threatened, our way of life, our immigrants — I’m from an immigrant family. This is not what we want.” His friend MJ said it was time to make a statement: “We can’t sit back.”
A group of friends wearing rainbow-colored tutus said much the same thing. “We’ve got to stand up” said Jenna Bollanbaugh, while Tim Wilder said he was there for a number of reasons, the censoring of journalists by the Pentagon for one.
Once the march began, there was no getting across Anacapa Street. A solid 12 blocks of a colorful, sign-carrying stream of people, frogs, dogs, and dinosaurs walked and rolled downhill as police officers held back cross traffic and cars trying to leave parking structures were just stuck.
Indivisible S.B. estimated that as many as 10,000 people took part in this latest demonstration to defeat authoritarianism. The national Indivisible organization announced nearly seven million people took part in the U.S., “14 times larger than both of President Trump’s presidential inaugurations combined.”
And the larger point was made as Santa Barbara marched: “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Donald Trump has got to go!”
Correction: This story was revised to correct Primitiva Hernandez’s reference to county transfers and add the last two speakers at the rally.
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