On Feb. 17, approximately 250 individuals gathered at Fresno City Hall to participate in the “No Kings Day” protest, a nationwide event organized by the 50501 Movement, a grassroots online movement in opposition to the Trump administration.
Protesters carried signs with messages such as “Protect Trans Kids,” “We the People, Not We the Billionaires” and “Stop Musk.” Speakers at the event addressed concerns about the current political climate, arguing that the Trump Administration has overreached its executive power and targeted marginalized communities, with potential effects on the Central Valley.
Jennifer Cruz, a recent candidate for Fresno County supervisor and one of the event organizers, wants to see city leaders take a stand.
“Part of the cause today was to call on our city council and our supervisors to do something,” Cruz said. “This is not fair. This is not just.”
The speakers ranged from concerned educators, transgender kids and community activists to labor workers, all speaking into the microphone connected to a karaoke machine to deliver their growing concerns to the government.
This was followed by Diana Howard, a medical professional, who spoke about how the administration’s policies have affected her work.
“I’m so tired of seeing how political changes affect our physician-patient relationships. It shouldn’t be that way,” Howard said. “Please don’t let politics be in the middle. We all matter.”
Among the sea of protesters, Beth Perry, an educator with Stone Corral Elementary School District, attended the protest dressed as the Statue of Liberty as a way to advocate for her students.
Perry expressed concerns to the crowd that her students from mixed-status families are grappling with the fear that a parent might not come home one day.
This concern is heightened by recent events, such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducting unannounced immigration enforcement operations in California’s Central Valley.
“Maybe 90 percent of our students are Mexican-American,” Perry said. “I’m here for them. Also, there is so much crazy stuff going on [in this country].”
Perry also shared her thoughts on the policies of law enforcement.
“He can’t just overturn things that Congress has voted for,” Perry said. “That’s not the way it works.”
The growing concern about an oligarchic government forming in the United States was felt in every corner of the protest. Signs depicted the face of Elon Musk with a crown crossed out in a red “no” symbol, along with messages like “I ♥ the Constitution” to express frustration over the state of the federal government.
As the clock struck 1 p.m., a wave of protesters started to flow from Fresno City Hall to the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse, chanting, “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Trump and Musk have got to go,” demanding local officials take action.
As the chants echoed through downtown Fresno, demonstrators emphasized that their fight was far from over, warning that this would be only the first of many protests if change did not come.
For many, ‘No Kings Day’ was not just a protest—it was a declaration that democracy must be protected, no matter the cost.
