- Bay Area residents took to the streets as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement on Oct. 18.
- The movement gained considerable support: the October “No Kings” protest garnered an estimated 7 million people, according to the official website, while thousands drew to the streets for the San José and Sunnyvale rallies.
- Organizers said they hoped the Oct. 18 protests allowed citizens to partake in action directly concerning their political views.
Bay Area residents took to the streets as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement on Oct. 18. In Sunnyvale, protesters gathered from 2–4 p.m. on E. El Camino Real, while San José protesters met at the intersection of N. Second Street and E. St. James Street from 12–2 p.m. This marks the second nationwide “No Kings” protest since the first on June 14.
The event was organized by the 50501 Movement. Founded this February, 50501 aims to organize a nonviolent protest in every state to challenge what organizers described as President Donald Trump’s “executive overreach.” It has since gained considerable support: thousands drew to the streets for the San José and Sunnyvale rallies.
“We do this to show we won’t back down against attacks on our democracy,” Sunnyvale protest organizer Idarose Sylvester said. “We know that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the National Guard are showing up in our cities, but we’re saying, ‘That’s fine. We’re not afraid of that.’ And that’s a really, really powerful statement right now.”…