In the heart of downtown San Antonio, thousands of citizens rallied at Travis Park to protest President Donald Trump’s administration for the second nationwide “No Kings” protest on Saturday, Oct. 18. Organized by 50501 SATX, the protest and subsequent march saw speeches from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, as well as representatives from local political organizations.
Rep. Castro spoke on the increasing pressure Americans are facing due to inflation and the rising prices of basic consumer goods.
“Under Donald Trump, the price of rent is going up. The price of groceries is going up. The price of childcare is going up. The price of healthcare is going up,” Castro said. “People’s morale, and their hope and their future are going down at the same time.”
Building off of Castro’s message, Rep. Casar deplored a budget proposal by Republicans in Congress that would reopen the federal government following its most recent shutdown.
“Trump put forward a budget to kick 15 million people off their healthcare, double healthcare costs for 20 million more. Close our hospitals, jack up prices for everybody else,” Casar said. “He expected democrats to just fold instead of fight and go along with it.
“Instead, we said ‘Hell no.’”
State Rep. Gutierrez took a more vulgar approach to his indictment of the Trump administration, bashing immigration crackdowns and deportation efforts.
“We are here six, seven thousand strong because we love this nation. Because what’s happening in our country right now is a bunch of bullsh—t trash to say the least,” Gutierrez said. “We got a criminal in the White House treating migrants like they’re criminals.
“The truth of the moment is not that this man wants to be a dictator. He is a goddamn dictator. The truth of the moment is that this country always conserves f—cking freedom.”
While the “No Kings” protest was a general indictment of the Trump administration, protestors rallied against a variety of specific policies.
Some protestors, in line with messaging from Democratic politicians at the protest, denounced the administration’s anti-immigrant policies.
“Say it loud, say it clear. Immigrants are welcome here,” protestors chanted during the march.
“Power to the people, no one is illegal,” others exclaimed.
Protestor Andrew Almanza was drawn to the march to express his disdain for the Trump administration’s policies and actions.
“I am a United States veteran. I fought for freedom, and a lot of those freedoms are gonna be taken later. So I fight for that, I continue to fight. My fight never ended,” Almanza said. “I’m done with all this stuff that’s going on right now, and I just wanted to have a voice.”
Protestor Delia Gutierrez, a first-generation citizen, marched to protest the state of the nation, voicing concern over the cost of living and healthcare costs.
“Today I just feel like our country is under a lot of stress. Our working class people, our military, our healthcare, the healthcare that’s at risk right now. The cost of living in our country, our wages, they just aren’t equitable to what the cost of living is right now,” Gutierrez said. “It’s an America that I don’t recognize. I just feel like every day we’re working and working and working and have nothing to show for it.”
The San Antonio Police Department, bolstered by the San Antonio Park Police, was out in full force, directing the demonstrators along the predetermined route.
Gov. Greg Abbott deployed 5,000 members of the Texas National Guard and 2,000 DPS troopers statewide in anticipation of the protest. Approximately 120 National Guardsmen were stationed at the Alamo. The march encountered little resistance, drawing very few counter-protestors and opposition.
The march traveled along East Market St., passing Civic Park and the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, drawing onlookers from Big Texas Comicon and the San Antonio Beer Festival.
“No Kings,” a nationwide protest movement, drew crowds across dozens of U.S. cities, including New York, Austin, Washington D.C., Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. In New York, the New York Police Department estimated that around 100,000 protesters assembled for “No Kings.” Protests were not limited to cities in the U.S.; there were marches in Berlin, Madrid, Rome and London. Organizers have claimed the marches remained largely peaceful.
