CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Demonstrators gathered in Clovis on Saturday as part of the nationwide “No Kings” movement, protesting immigration enforcement policies and what organizers describe as an increase in sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers across the Central Valley.
The rally marked the second consecutive weekend of No Kings demonstrations in the region.
Last weekend, crowds gathered in Fresno and Kerman.
Protesters also assembled Saturday evening outside the Tower Theatre in Fresno for a second straight night.
“We’re a community of immigrants. Of peace. I didn’t think I’d have to be out here after the Vietnam War, you know? And here we are saying what you’re doing is not right and we don’t agree with it. And we elected you,” protester Liz Smith said.
Participants said they were concerned about the impact of immigration enforcement actions on local communities.
“It’s just a bunch of hard-working people that are being affected. Just our neighbors, everyday people that we should love and really just help them out. They’re people just like us,” protester David Alvarez said.
The demonstrations came as President Donald Trump continued campaigning with 17 days remaining until Election Day.
On Saturday, Trump held a rally in Kentucky, where he highlighted his administration’s record on crime and praised ICE and Border Patrol agents.
During the event, a protester interrupted Trump’s remarks. The president repeated his claim that protesters are paid to attend his rallies.
“They get paid. We have them all over the place. They stand up, they say something, they get 250. It’s disgraceful,” Trump said.
Immigration enforcement has remained a central issue in Trump’s campaign.
During the 2024 presidential race, he pledged what he described as the largest deportation operation in American history.
Fresno County voters backed Trump in that election, marking the first time the county supported a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.
For protesters in the Central Valley, Saturday’s rallies were also about civic engagement and public discussion ahead of the election.
“Basically the expression of the First Amendment. Hopefully you can get some issues across, change people’s minds about certain things. It just starts with that conversation, open discussion,” Alvarez said.
The demonstrations in Clovis and Fresno were part of broader No Kings protests held across the country, with participants taking aim at immigration enforcement policies while the president continued a campaign schedule that included multiple rallies in the final weeks before Election Day.
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