‘No Kings’ protests in El Sobrante, San Pablo draw several hundred

This is a developing story, and Richmondside will update it as further details are available.

An estimated 800 people joined No Kings protests Saturday in San Pablo and El Sobrante, joining thousands more across west Contra Costa County, the East Bay and nationwide — all standing in opposition to what many say is President Donald Trump’s creeping authoritarianism.

The local protests started with about 100 people in San Pablo, followed by a group in El Sobrante that swelled to about 700 people, swarming the corner of Appian Way and San Pablo Dam Road.

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An estimated 700 people gathered in El Sobrante on Sat., Oct. 18 for a No Kings protest. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside

Organizer Amy Prosser, who was in San Pablo, wanted to share a message with the world. She said: “We need everyone out here. We need everyone involved, we are at a tipping point — and if we don’t act fast, we’re going to lose our democracy and people will be violently affected by it.”

A crowd of “No Kings” protesters gathered on 23rd Street in San Pablo Saturday. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside

“Not only are people going to lose their livelihoods and be endangered economically, people are going to be at risk of imprisonment. Citizens and noncitizens and surveillance — and it can be a very, very dangerous country for people,” she said.

Amy Prosser, one of the organizers of the No Kings protest in San Pablo on Saturday. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside

One San Pablo participant, Janice Haugan, told Richmond she remembers growing up in the 1970s.

“Women couldn’t even have a credit card without their husband’s permission,” she said. “And it feels like we’re going backwards towards that.”

Janice Haugan fears women’s rights could revert back decades if the country continues in the direction it’s going. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside

Julie Freestone shared why she was protesting Saturday in San Pablo.

“We’re heading towards autocracy, you know, democracy is disappearing every hour of the day. And I’m here to defend democracy and show Donald Trump and the rest of his clown cabinet that Americans don’t want this,” she said “We want to protect our democracy.”

Julie Freestone of Richmond at the No Kings protest in San Pablo. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside .

Other protests were scheduled to take place in Hercules, El Cerrito and Albany.

It’s the second “No Kings” protest and third mass movement against the administration this year, and it comes amid an intensifying conflict between federal law enforcement and protesters nationwide.

In June, an estimated 4 million people showed up at nearly 2,000 protests across the country, including tens of thousands in the East Bay and more than 140,000 across the Bay Area.

On Saturday, protests are planned for more than 2,500 locations nationwide. Some organizers in the Bay Area have said they expect even larger crowds this time around.

That proved true in El Sobrante, where an estimated 700 people gathered at 1 p.m, chanting, “No kings in the U.S.A.”

Standing out in the crowd was Angela Ah Sam, decked out in face paint to complete her rather realistic Statue of Liberty costume, her torch held high.

She noted she considers herself a centrist politically but is still horrified by what she’s seeing.

“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to talk to each other — Republicans, Democrats, Independents,” Ah Sam said. “That’s what our democracy is built on, is working things out.”

Dennis Ladd, who told Richmondside he has been protesting Trump since 2017, feels like the country is approaching a police state.

“He is sending the military into the inner cities without constitutional approval or approved from Congress. So with his tightening up, I would think our Democratic and individual rights are at risk,” Ladd said.

No Kings protesters in El Sobrante on Oct. 18, 2025. Credit: Zoe Harwood for Richmondside

Some conservative politicians have condemned the protests as “Hate America” rallies, with U.S. House leaders saying the protests are meant to appease the Democratic Party’s “terrorist wing.” Others say that it represents a “patriotic” fight for First Amendment rights and that opposition to mass peaceful protest is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.

For Ladd, who said he also protested during the Vietnam War, that claimed the lives of two family members, showing up at a No Kings event is the least he can do.

“I’ve had family members and friends during World War 2 who were injured and killed to protect this American Flag — and it’s the least I can do to stand here on a rather warm, sunny day and do the same.”

Organizers aim to boost political engagement

Ezra Levin, a leading organizer of Saturday’s protests, said the demonstrations are a response to what he called Trump’s “crackdown on First Amendment rights.”

Levin, the co-executive director of the nonprofit Indivisible, pointed to Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, his unprecedented promises to use federal power to influence midterm elections, restrictions on press freedom and retribution against political opponents.

He said those steps cumulatively represented a direct threat to constitutionally protected rights.

The last “No Kings” protest took place on June 14 in thousands of cities and towns across the country, in large part to protest a military parade in Washington that marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday. “No Kings” organizers at the time called the parade “coronation” that was symbolic of what they characterized as Trump’s growing authoritarian overreach.

Confrontations were isolated and the protests were largely peaceful.

Crackdown on protests

Trump’s crackdown against protests, especially in Democratic cities, has intensified since the June marches. He has since sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn. His efforts to deploy troops to Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have stalled in federal court. He has signaled this week that San Francisco could be the next target.

Federal immigration agents have arrested more than 1,000 people in Chicago, the nation’s third largest city, with increasingly aggressive tactics since September. Protests have been frequent and well attended in recent weeks, and have boiled over in intense clashes outside a suburban federal immigration processing center.

Berkeley leaders came together to urge protesters to remain peaceful and alert to dangers posed from the federal government’s response.

“Recent events, including the use of the military in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, as well as the current threats to San Francisco and Oakland, underscore the importance of being prepared and informed,” reads a statement issued Friday from Mayor Adena Ishii, City Manager Paul Buddenhagen and Police Chief Jennifer Louis. “Additionally, there may be individuals who co-opt a peaceful protest for their own agenda; stay aware and clear of those engaged in dangerous and criminal behavior.”

The “No Kings” organizers have led numerous virtual safety trainings leading up to the protests with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is listed as an official partner on the “No Kings” website.

The trainings informed viewers about their rights during protests — such as whether you are required to carry ID (you’re not in California) — and emphasized de-escalation techniques for encounters with law enforcement.

Each official protest has a safety plan, which includes designated medics and emergency meeting spots.

This story includes reporting by the Associated Press and Berkeleyside staff.

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