Nearly seven million attended No Kings protests in 2,700 cities, towns

On Saturday, Oct. 18, approximately 50,000 people joined the No Kings Day of Defiance march and rally in downtown San Francisco, jointly organized by Indivisible San Francisco, 50501SF, and National Nurses United. The peaceful mobilization was one of 2,700 events taking place around the Bay Area, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and around the globe.  

With Trump and congressional Republicans doubling down on their agenda of gutting Medicaid and essential services, and wreaking havoc with a government shutdown of their making, everyday Americans delivered a powerful rebuke of their governance: “This country belongs to us, the people, and in America, we don’t do kings.” The event represented the largest single day of action since Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term.

Speakers at the Civic Center Plaza rally, which followed a march from Embarcadero, included representatives from National Nurses United (NNU) – the nation’s largest union of registered nurses – Indivisible SF, 50501SF, Arab Resources Organizing Center (AROC), California Labor Federation AFL-CIO, and ACLU Northern California. Notable Bay Area civil rights activists Angela Davis, Cleve Jones, and Honey Mahogany also spoke following an opening performance by renowned Bay Area folk musician Joan Baez. 

SAN FRANCISCO MARCH AND RALLY PHOTOS AND VIDEOS:

• National Nurses United Flickr
• National Nurses United SF rally livestream
• Pro Bono Photography
• Dan Dunn Aerial Photography 

(credit: Dan Dunn for the aerial footage above) 

CIVIC CENTER PLAZA RALLY SPEAKER LIST:

• Cathy Kennedy (President, National Nurses United)
• Puneet Maharaj (Executive Director, National Nurses United)
• Arthur Wolf (Indivisible SF/50501)
• Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher (President, California Labor Federation AFL-CIO)
• Angela Davis
• Abdi Soltani (Executive Director, ACLU NorCal)
• Lara Kiswani (Executive Director, AROC)
• Cleve Jones
• Honey Mahogany
• Sandy Reding (President, California Nurses Association)

TOP MOMENTS FROM THE DAY:

• Washington, DC
• Atlanta, GA
• New York, NY
• Boston, MA
• San Francisco, CA
• Chicago, IL
• Charlotte, NC
• Orlando, FL
• Chattanooga, TN
• The Villages, FL
• Rockingham, VA
• Kansas City, MO
• Bozeman, MT
• Columbus, IN
• Miami, FL
• Dallas, TX

Building on the momentum of the June 14 day of action, which drew over five million participants nationwide, today’s historic mobilization is the next chapter in a growing movement to defend democracy and reject authoritarian control. Together, millions are sending an unmistakable message: we are a nation of equals, and our democracy will not be dismantled.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.