The Saturday demonstration was one of hundreds that unfolded nationwide Saturday amid immigration crackdowns across the U.S.
SAN ANTONIO — More than 1,000 protesters packed Travis Park in downtown San Antonio to speak out against the Trump administration’s policies, one of hundreds of similar events that unfolded nationwide Saturday as part of the “No Kings” movement.
“No Kings” organizers have referred to the network of protests as “a nationwide day of defiance” intentionally scheduled to take place on Flag Day, as a “direct response to Donald Trump’s self-aggrandizing $100 million military parade and birthday celebration.”
The protest arrived on the heels of previous similar rallies last Sunday and Wednesday, and after Gov. Greg Abbott deployed National Guard troops to San Antonio and other Texas cities in advance of the protests. It also came amid a recent immigration crackdown that has seen ICE agents taking people into custody outside downtown San Antonio courthouses, including women and children, according to relatives of some detainees.
“ICE is a legal entity of the United States, but they don’t have to be thugs,” said Connie Fitzgerald, one of the hundreds of rally attendees. “There’s a due process that we’re expecting. That’s the least we can expect in our country.”
Immigration raids were a focal points of the protest and its messaging. But sentiments and signs were also touted in support of the science and LGBTQ communities, which have been threatened in the first months of President Trump’s return to office.
The Saturday event, which went from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and included a march through downtown, remained peaceful. There were no apparent signs of needed intervention from law enforcement other than a small group of protesters briefly blocking traffic near Travis Park after the event’s conclusion.
The National Guard were on standby, per Abbott’s orders, while SAPD and Texas DPS troopers were seen along the march route to ensure safety.
PHOTOS: Hundreds of San Antonians gather for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protest
Though the message of the “No Kings” protest was one of resistance, the air was often celebratory and festive at Travis Park. At different points electric guitars and drums could be heard, as well as the cheers of attendees responding to event speakers.
They included Robert Vargas III, president of Texas Stonewall Democrats, who equated the current struggle to that of the 1969 Stonewall rebellion.
“It was people putting their hands to the plow and saying, ‘We will not allow a fascist government to oppress us anymore,'” Vargas said. “We’re not gonna be intimidated by a governor who thinks he can use law enforcement against us.”
The national series of “No Kings” rallies was organized by 50501, referring to 50 protests, 50 states, one movement.
Alex Svehla, the local leader organizer for 50501, said it was their intention to organize a non-violent event while coordinating with SAPD. It was cosponsored by the Bexar County Democrats and North East Bexar County Democrats groups.
“We’ve always been a very positive community,” Svehla said. “This just takes it to a whole other level.”
One passerby was dubious about the intentions of the protest, saying he was going to the downtown mall to pick up some shoes when he saw the crowd and stopped to see what it was all about.
“I think it’s a waste of time,” he said. “Nothing is going to change. It’s not going to change the election. (Trump) beat Harris. If it’s peaceful, I will support it. But when it comes to vandalizing organizations and businesses, I will not support it at all.”
This week’s other demonstrations remained largely peaceful. SAPD said no arrests were made Wednesday night, in the more significant of the two local protests this week.
Saturday continued that trend. After the event’s conclusion, SAPD Chief William McManus shared his gratitude on X for the “thousands of demonstrators and organizers for showing everyone how it should be done today.”
Fitzgerald, speaking to KENS 5 early in the event, said she didn’t expect it to go otherwise.
“This is San Antonio,” she said. “We are peaceful. We know why we’re here. What we’re here for doesn’t deserve any kind of violent action. We’re here to make a point.”
‘We have to make this stop’
In Travis Park, many were seen carrying signs, some of them reading “Families belong together” and “Trump’s lies matter.” An early speaker in the event, scheduled to go from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., led the crowd in a chants of “We won’t retreat, take the military off our streets!”
The event, intentionally scheduled for Flag Day, was touted by national organizers as “the largest single-day mobilization since President Trump returned to office.”
A woman speaking at the park early decried what she said was the ongoing “militarization of our city” and referred to Gov. Abbott as a “fascist” for deploying 5,000 National Guard personnel ahead of Saturday’s protests across Texas. A rumble of boos and disapproval went through the park when she referenced Trump’s efforts to cut Medicaid and food stamps.
“My whole adult life (the U.S.) has been at war,” she said. “We have to make this stop!”
At around 6:15 p.m., the Travis Park crowd – many of them carrying signs, or Mexican or U.S. flags – began marching out of the park. Not long after, chants of “Whose streets? Our streets!,” “Deport Trump!” and “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state!” echoed through downtown.
“We’re at a crossroads right now,” said Joe Zamor, a participant whose mother immigrated to the U.S. and whose father served in the Army. “(With) all this rhetoric behind them being evil people, ‘bad hombres’ or stuff like that, it’s important to give them a voice too.”
Boerne also rallies
Earlier in the day, about 400 Boerne residents also protested the federal administration in Boerne, mostly sticking to an area near City Hall.
It was countered by about 150 Trump supporters, but the affair remained cordial with plenty of honking from cars p