This time there was less venting, smaller crowds and the outrage was not nearly so broad.
But as hundreds of thousands of Americans turned out Saturday across San Diego County and the nation at large to again declare “No Kings,” and disrupt the Trump administration policy agenda, the indignity was no less palpable.
It was far more focused than the previous rallies in March and October 2025.
Mary Brown, 73, of Clairemont, waves to passing motorists during a No Kings Rally at the intersection of Camino Ruiz and Mira Mesa Boulevard in Mira Mesa on Saturday. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“I need to be another voice showing disagreement with our current administration,” said Ann Ravitch, a retired real estate agent from La Mesa who attended the “No Kings”rally in Balboa Park.
Ravitch formally cast her vote Saturday, dropping her ballot into the county registrar’s drop box along Laurel Street just inside Balboa Park, one of the more than two dozen “No Kings” rally sites in San Diego County.
“We have a Constitution we need to live by,” she said.
The fourth major “No Kings” protest since President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term was clear-eyed and succinct.
Rather than fight a litany of grievances — the war in Iran, tariffs, data centers or what many see as corruption in Washington, D.C. — the message Saturday was almost entirely single-minded: Vote and vote early.
Your election guide: The San Diego Union-Tribune’s guide to the Nov. 3, 2026, general election
With two weeks until the midterm elections, the “No Kings” organizers turned away from summoning massive crowds like the 50,000-plus who crowded into Waterfront Park last year and marched down Harbor Drive.
Instead, they pushed the ballot, reminding people that the government exists to serve the people and that they have the power to choose their elected leadership.
“This one is different because these are little events that are spread out across the country,” said Roxanne Bornowski, the Indivisible San Diego volunteer who helped organize the Balboa Park event.
“These actions are designed to promote early voting and election protection,” Bornowski said. “It’s important because we know our elections are under attack.”
The U.S. military veteran cited ongoing immigration sweeps, demands for state and local voter data and the possibility that federal agents will be dispatched to polling places as urgent threats to democracy.
“We don’t know what red lines are going to be crossed, so we want people to vote early,” Bornowski said.
The Balboa Park rally drew more than 1,000 people, with a live band, speeches, a voter registration drive and a plan-to-vote kits. More than a few people waved American flags as they walked the lawn, some turned upside down to signal urgent distress.
Other protests were held in El Cajon, Chula Vista, Del Mar, Oceanside and other San Diego County communities, with each event focused on turning out the vote ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
In Mira Mesa, about 60 protesters crowded the corners at the traffic-heavy intersection of Camino Ruiz and Mira Mesa Boulevard.
It was hot, about 91 degrees, accompanied by dry Santa Ana winds. Many protesters stood on sidewalks as long as they could before seeking shade beneath trees in front of a nearby bank.
The gathering was civil and even a bit jovial. Music from a portable speaker played classic protest songs like “War,” by Edwin Starr.
The location was a block away from the Mira Mesa Library, another ballot-collection site. Organizers encouraged people to drop off their ballots and head over to the intersection to picket.
People hold up signs during a No Kings Rally at the intersection of Camino Ruiz and Mira Mesa Boulevard in Mira Mesa on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Wendy Gelernter, a Take Action San Diego member and organizer of the Mira Mesa protest, said every neighborhood participating in the countywide event was able to dictate their own tone.
“I think the reason (this election) is so important is because the threats against democracy keep being escalated every two years,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen this concerted, this organized, this blatant of an effort to actually interfere with people’s right to vote.
“No matter what party you’re in, that should be a real concern,” Gelernter said.
Around 350 protesters in Oceanside stretched along Coast Highway from Sportfisher Drive to Mission Avenue, organizers estimated. At around 4 p.m., cheers from the crowd and honks of support from passing cars rang throughout Oceanside Civic Center Plaza, the epicenter of the gathering.
But by 4:30 p.m. people packed up and filed out quickly. By 5 p.m. only a few dozen picketers remained and the area was significantly quieter.
Despite it being short, Larry Warner, one of the event’s organizers, said the vibe of Oceanside’s event was less that of a protest and more to hang out with each other and advocate for residents’ neighbors.
“There’s a real sweet spirit in Oceanside and if people come out, it’s sort of like family. Like some of these people I’ve seen over the last year-and-a-half coming out, they don’t necessarily know the person next to them, but they spend the next hour-and-a-half talking and just enjoying one another,” Warner said.
Kenneth Perry, of Escondido, waves a flag near the street during a No Kings protest at Balboa Park on Saturday. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
National “No Kings” organizers said their Instagram account was taken down around 1:30 p.m. Saturday without explanation. In an announcement, they claimed the company, its chief executive and White House officials were working to suppress them.
“To Mark Zuckerberg, Meta and the Trump regime: We see how afraid you are of losing power. Silencing us won’t stop what’s coming. Change is coming for all of you,” organizers said.
At about the same time, Trump referred to himself as “king” during a campaign rally in Kentucky, where he was campaigning for votes in the reliably Republican state.
“I’m the king of the wall,” Trump told the crowd in Highland Heights, a Cincinnati, Ohio, suburb. “By the way, Mexico did pay for that wall. I charged them tariffs and I charged them costs like they’ve never paid in history.”
The early-vote message appears to be hitting home.
Reports showed Saturday — 17 days before Election Day — that more than 8 million people have cast ballots in the midterm elections that will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate.