Across Marin County on Oct. 18, seven protests took place as part of the “No Kings” movement. Thousands of protesters from Sausalito to Novato dressed up, carried signs, chanted and joined together to protest the Trump administration.
In Corte Madera, protestors opened with brief statements regarding their thoughts on Immigration Control and their constitutional rights being at risk before marching to Town Center, where passing drivers honked in support of demonstrators.
Among those marching in Corte Madera was Reverend Deborah Wright of Sausalito, whose sign quoted an 18th-century reformer with the phrase “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”
“The ‘No Kings’ protest is the most important march in United States history,” Wright said.
A Corte Madera resident named “Claudia,” who refused to share her last name out of fear of retribution, attended out of obligation and hope. “I wonder if any of this is really worth it, if we’ll make a real impact,” Claudia said, “…but it’s something I needed to do.”
In San Rafael, guest speaker and House representative Jared Huffman discussed the government shutdown and allegations surrounding President Donald Trump and the Epstein Files.
“No fear, no silence, no kings,” Huffman said.
A local San Anselmo resident, Bill, who didn’t share his last name as a precautionary measure to stay anonymous, demonstrated because he was worried about President Trump’s unprecedented rule.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime,” Bill said. “Trump is running this country like a king. [Trump has] the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and no guardrails whatsoever.”
Bill attended a similar protest at the Marin Civic Center earlier this year during the last “No Kings” protest, where he estimated that over 5,000 people had demonstrated.
“When I heard about this one, I said we’ve got to go,” Bill said. “[These protests] are crucial to exercising our freedom of expression.”
Bill strongly rebuked House Speaker Mike Johnson’s claims that the “No Kings” protests were “Hate America Rallies.” Additionally, Bill was hopeful that, though the protests didn’t seem to have any impact on the president, people would start paying attention.
“To me, this is the most American thing you can be doing right now: protesting what’s going on,” Bill said. “While [Trump is] in power, we can’t do much else. But we can raise awareness and make sure people start paying attention.”
Other protesters like Wright echoed those concerns, citing fears of government surveillance and unequal justice.
“They’re doing facial recognition and tracking protesters,” Wright said. “That tells you we’re in a terrorist state.”
Some protesters wore ski masks, bandanas and sunglasses, covering their faces and other identifiable parts of their bodies.
Nationwide, more than 2,500 demonstrations were planned, with organizers estimating that over seven million people ultimately took part in what many claim is one of the largest group protest movements in U.S. history.
