By Sofia Nguyen & Stephanie Nguyen
An elderly couple stands together, both holding up a paper plate with “No Kings” written on it. This couple is two out of the seven million people who gathered on Oct. 18 in more than 2,700 cities across the United States and as far as Japan, according to organizers. These protests for “No Kings” day were held in response to the narrative that President Donald Trump is acting above the law. Additionally, other reasons included the Immigration Customs Enforcement’s unlawful actions, federal defundings, climate change actions, infringements on First Amendment rights and the weakening of democracy.
Several “No Kings Days” also occurred in neighboring cities such as Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Orange.
On the previous “No Kings” day, June 14, 2025, the same day as the U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, the event drew five million protesters in more than 2,100 cities and towns.
At the time of publication, the government shutdown reached its third week as Democrats in the House of Representatives continued to hold out for guarantees on increased funding for healthcare initiatives. Across the nation, the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are still conducting raids and taking allegedly illegal immigrants into custody. Statewide, Proposition 50, a proposal to replace California’s current congressional district map, is up for debate as the voting period approaches in early November. Protesters in Huntington Beach have also expressed their disapproval of Trump’s handling of the war in Palestine and his views on the LGBTQ+ community.
On both days, people protested peacefully across the country, according to police. People expressed themselves in upbeat and festive ways, wearing costumes and yellow clothing, or chanting. Originating in Portland, Oregon, people began wearing inflatables and costumes with the intent to appear peaceful and joyous. People wore yellow following historic events in countries like Hong Kong, Eastern Ukraine and Asia. In these events, crowds resisted their government’s suppression and injustice.
HUNTINGTON BEACH PROTEST
The event officially started at 11:30 a.m. By then, protesters had assembled in the downtown area of the city, waving posters and signs as cars honked at them in support of their efforts. People of all ages attended and some donned costumes of various cartoon characters, such as Patrick Star from the Nickelodeon show SpongeBob and Ariel and King Triton from the Disney film The Little Mermaid. “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and other Rock-n-Roll songs were playing in the background sporadically.
In Huntington Beach (HB), a neighboring city of Fountain Valley, hundreds of protestors stood in agreement. Gathered at the pier, sounds of supportive honking, bells, and music echoed through Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street. Signs read, “No Kings,” “No Tyrants,” “No Fascists,” “No Hate,” “No ICE,” “Dictator or Democracy,” “Dump Trump,” “My body, My choice,” and countless other phrases.
At around 12:18 p.m., participants unanimously chanted “No Kings!” and “Hey hey, ho ho ho, Donald Trump’s got to go!”
Many signs showed support for Proposition 50, the only statewide measure on the Nov. 4 special election ballot. In response to Texas’s alleged gerrymandering, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California State Legislature initiated the measure. In this act, it would temporarily amend the state’s constitution to use a new, legislature-drawn congressional district map for elections from 2026 to 2030, thereby protecting California’s electoral influence.
Ana Tran, a junior at Edison High School and founder of a nonprofit organization supporting veterans, The Helping Heroes Fund, was among the crowd on Saturday at Huntington Beach. Tran stated that she had grown up with the teachings that America is built on immigrants, basic human rights are universally deserved and the belief in the promise of due process. But, she fears that they are at risk in today’s political climate.
“The protest in HB really opened my eyes on how much unity and empathy there is. I hope more people come out to fight for our democracy, even though it’s scary, it was great meeting so many kind people and taking a stand,” Tran said.
From other attendees, they described the event in Huntington Beach as powerful, behaved, optimistic and still safe.
“[Huntington Beach is known as a place] where people were able to walk their dogs and bring their kids to enjoy the fun shops right next to the pier,” a passerby of the event, Hayden Anthony said.
While the majority was silent, some Republican leaders labeled the event as “America-hating” and a part of the far-left movement. Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, said in an interview, “I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa (anti-fascist) types. I bet you see the Marxist in full display—the people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic.”
Along with other notable celebrities, Mark Ruffalo, widely known as Hulk from The Avengers movie, gave a speech at the No Kings event in New York City. “And what’s dear to me is this democracy and this feeling of togetherness and unity and brotherly and sisterly love and respect and care for one another that this movement is engendering in all of us today,” Ruffalo said.
The demonstration at Huntington Beach was among thousands of others and the people a few hundred of millions around the globe. Among the largest peaceful protests in U.S. history, “No Kings” organizers strive for more “No Kings” days, where people of all backgrounds express opposition to the Trump administration and protect democracy.
The event officially ended at 2 p.m., but a sizable crowd stood on the side directly in front of the pier for at least half an hour more. Their numbers had dwindled by then, with most of those remaining joining the larger crowd from the side where the restaurants and businesses were. It seemed as though they were willing to stand for as long as they were able to.
