Thousands of protesters from Fresno and Clovis turned out this Saturday to voice their frustrations with the Trump administration.

The No Kings protest movement launched a series of protests across the country on Oct. 18 as pushback against the Trump administration’s decisions to cut funding to federal services and weaponize federal law enforcement agencies.

Two No Kings protests took place in the Fresno metropolitan area.

No Kings protest in Fresno

The No Kings protests in Fresno took place from 9 to 11 a.m. at Manchester Mall on Blackstone and Shields avenues.

The event was coordinated in part by Central Valley California Indivisible (CVCI).

CVCI is a grassroots political effort founded to resist the Trump agenda and elevate democracy via thousands of group leaders and millions of members across the nation, according to its website.

“No king’s day means that we unite to run the government ourselves because we know what the people want because we are the people, we represent what the country is, we’re America,” said Protester Joanna Ruiz.

Ruiz was very vocal in sharing her frustrations, using speakers to project her message to the people around her.

“We’re tired of the government running itself the way it is; it’s clearly not for the people anymore, it’s for the people at the top,” Ruiz said.

A colorful array of flags and signs calling for better healthcare, the takedown of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the impeachment of President Donald Trump and more waved among the sea of people along the sidewalks.

Voices chanted “No Kings,” and cheering or shouting could be heard as passing cars either honked in support or shouted in opposition at the protesters.

While holding a full-sized upside-down American flag on his shoulder, protestor and Navy veteran Rodger Corbett expressed disdain toward Trump.

“Our country’s been taken over by a tyrant and a criminal,” Corbett said. “I’m tired of it and I’m tired of misrepresentation of the whole country.”

Corbett said he is entitled to hold that flag, having fought for the rights that are held in this country that he feels are being taken away.

He believes America is in distress and headed in the wrong direction, with every passing day revealing another sign of authoritarianism.

“No kings, no fascists, no pedophiles, this is the United States of America,” Corbett said.

The goal for Corbett, Ruiz and many others was to spread awareness of the disdain that a large number of Americans have with the current policies. They wanted to show the federal government that they will not stay silent and will bring power to the rights of the people in a time when many feel their rights are being infringed upon.

Unity is in sparse amounts these days, according to Ruiz.

“The government wants to turn everybody against each other because that’s the easiest way to control them, is to make people think that their neighbor is their enemy,” Ruiz said.

To her, a society can’t work unless we have societal trust, and the No King’s protest symbolizes that people can have that trust and unity and come together in times when she feels many are pushed to their limit.

No Kings protest in Clovis

The No Kings protest event at Clovis took place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Clovis and Shaw avenues, along the Clovis Trail.

Singleton Papendick, the host of the protest event at Clovis, registered the event through the No Kings website earlier this week in order to give the Clovis community a platform for the national No Kings protest movement on Oct. 18.

“People are fed up seeing how many people’s rights are being outright ignored or infringed upon,” Papendick said. “We want due process, we want fairness [and] we want respect for all citizens.”

Around 300 people RSVP’d for the protest event, according to Papendick. Papendick, however, estimated that around 600 to 1000 people attended the protest event.

The protesters covered all four corners of Clovis and Shaw avenues and lined the sides of the streets with signs and posters.

“I was very happy and surprised to come here and see so many people,” said Danitza Mason, a protester at the event. “I didn’t realize we have this much people that felt the same way as I did.”

Protesters were inspired to participate in the event for a variety of reasons. Many protesters came to the event with strong opinions about President Trump and his administration during his second tenure in office.

“He’s a felon, he shouldn’t be in office in the first place,” said Sophia Kepins, a protester at the event. “If felons can’t vote, then he shouldn’t be able to be in the office.”

Many other protesters at the event were inspired by their loved ones to participate and make their voices heard.

“My children, my daughter, my son, I want them to have a better future,” said Alexis Bolanos, a protester at the event. “I need them to also see that you have to use your voice and stand up for what’s right.”

The protest event at Clovis was largely peaceful. Protesters were met with honks from passing vehicles as a form of approval, and protesters played music and took pictures with the more eccentric protesters.

A handful of protesters at the event wore blow-up costumes, and one protester, Jacob Calles, cosplayed as Forest Gump, carrying a sign reading “I’m not a smart man, but I know what fascism is.”

“I already had the outfit, so I was like, might as well go out and try to dress where it might be eye-catching,” Calles said.

Papendick and her team provided little pamphlets, many written in both English and Spanish, that shared information on individual rights and community resources for those who attended the protest event.

One pamphlet listed seven steps on how to prevent ICE from executing operations as a community. Visit crimethinc.com/stopice for more information.

Another pamphlet passed out at the event encouraged protesters to call their representatives in Congress to move forward with impeaching President Trump. Visit citizensimpeachment.com for more information.

Posters, coloring pages for children, and food and water were also provided by Papendick and her team.

“I want people to not be afraid,” Papendick said. “I want people to know that they have so many other people who agree with them and want them to come up and speak their minds and stand up, and that we all can work together and figure this out.”