Overflowing the streets with posters, flags and puppets of President Donald Trump, demonstrators united in downtown San Antonio at Travis Park for the third “No Kings” march. Organized by 50501 SATX, the protest brought thousands of demonstrators and community organizations to rally against Trump’s administration.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation, 5051 SATX and the San Antonio Democratic Socialists of America provided designated tents inside the park, as the crowd joined the demonstration on March 28. The opportunity to talk to local organizations allowed attendees to become informed on community outreach and to continue advocating for justice. Family, friends and partners alike consolidated to successfully bring over a thousand people in one of 3,000 demonstrations that took place that day nationwide.
50501 SATX mutual aid lead Jolras Ruiz expressed concerns about the White House’s economic policies, anti-immigrant actions and the Iran War.
“The actions that we’ve seen have been at the cost of the average American. We’re seeing price increases that are bankrupting people,” Ruiz explained. “We’re seeing people starving in the streets, and we’re sending $6 billion to a war that shouldn’t have started to begin with.”
Various speakers from the different organizations present expressed their concerns with Trump and shared their messages with the crowd. Among them was PSL organizer Destiny Pena.
“I don’t know what Trump’s trying to do here besides, you know, stroke his own ego or whatever, but it’s clear to us that his priorities are not with the people that he supposedly is supposed to serve,” Pena stated. “Trump has launched eight wars since he’s gotten into office, even though he ran on being a supposed peace president. I think people are really starting to feel the effects of the war.”
Veteran Craig Hinman, who served the U.S. Marine Corps for 48 years and was on active duty during the long-standing war in Afghanistan in 2020, also spoke during the protest.
“I’m very much opposed to what this administration is doing to our country. Very much opposed to what we’re doing to immigrants and this unjust war,” Hinman said. “It’s terrible, and we really need to get out of it. I feel disgusted.”
At 5 p.m., the protesters pooled into the streets and started their march on East Martin Street, heading towards North Saint Mary’s Street.
Various signs read, “No Kings, No Dictators, No Fascists, No Kleptocrats. Only we the people”; “Of the people, by the people, for the people”; and “Hey Trump! You can’t bomb your way out of the Epstein files.”
Protestors continued their march through central San Antonio, eventually returning to the starting location at Travis Park.
On their route, they chanted, “Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like,” and “Say it loud. Say it clear. Immigrants are welcomed here.”
Roughly 8 million people nation-wide took part in the “No Kings” protest. It has become one of the largest in recent history, with 5 million participating in the first ‘No Kings’ back in June to then 7 million last October.
