Thousands Join Downtown Political Demonstration

An estimated 4,000 people marched through Downtown Saturday evening as part of a nationwide "No Kings Day of Action" protesting what organizers described as authoritarian actions by President Trump.

The demonstration, organized by Indivisible Riverside, began at 5:15 p.m. outside 3581 Mission Inn Ave. and continued past the expected 7:30 p.m. end time. Participants carried signs and played drums and kazoos, with some wearing costumes.

"We are fighting for freedom of expression, freedom from persecution, freedom from brutalization by unaccountable, politically motivated and transparently racist law enforcement actions," said Jacob Daruvala, whose father is a former Orange County Sheriff's sergeant.

The Riverside Resistance Revival Chorus performed at Fifth and Main streets near the Convention Center during the march.

Saturday's event was the second No Kings protest in Riverside this year. A June 14 demonstration drew an estimated 7,000 people, according to organizers, as part of what they called the largest single-day protest against the Trump administration involving more than 5 million participants across all 50 states.

Indivisible Riverside organized both local events in coordination with national partners including the ACLU, American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn, SEIU and other organizations listed at nokings.org.

Organizers said all No Kings events follow protocols for nonviolent protest with volunteers trained in de-escalation techniques.