Hundreds of Thousands in SF "No Kings Day" Protest

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar

(San Francisco, Oct. 18) - From the Embarcadero to City Hall, drumming, chanting and dressed in whimsical dinosaur and frog costumes protesters and activists marched down Market Street to City Hall.

The march, led by a large “No Kings” banner, was huge, taking about three hours to pass. There were many “No Kings” signs and there were many with variations on the theme of “fuck Trump.”

One sign read “They are destroying our democracy thread by thread while we watch. Stand up and fight for our future.”

Another mimicked Trump’s recent tweets with “Donald Trump – go fuck yourself. You fat, fascist pedophile. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Timed to start at the identical day and hour of the demonstration. Trump ordered the military to perform a live-fire artillery “safe” “celebration” firing artillery into the California coast. A section of highway I5 was preemptively closed by Governor Newsom in spite of assurances of safety, causing traffic jams and inconveniencing thousands. One shell exploded too soon, raining debris on a patrol car.

If you believe that this was anything other than a Trump threat against the California electorate, I have a slightly used Howitzer to sell you.

Each Trump outrage dwarfs the previous one in a continuing stream. He has attacked and rendered his personal servant the country’s jusdicial system. He has dismantled the medical research establishment and ended life saving aid to destitute countries. He is extorting for money, often for his personal benefit, the country's major centers of learning, the major media organizations and even the legal and corporate establishments.

He has declared, in so many words, that the military should be used against Americans whose politics diverge from his. This is the context of his artillery “exercise” and also of his prepositioning of troops in major cities.

As the outrage machine continues, with each outrageous act overshadowing yesterday’s outrage, our tolerance becomes more and more stressed. What will follow his Oct. 18 pretend, will real explosives, attack on California? Attacks that are less and less “pretend?"

To prepare for a violent coup, the military will need to be purged of those who take seriously their oath to protect the Constitution. Trump is doing this. Noting that no one applauded his recent talk to the assemblage of high ranking officers ordered to attend his speech at Quantico he said “you could also walk out, but there goes your career and your rank.”

As noted in Politico (08/20/2025), there is the unexpected and premature retirement of Adm. Alvin Holsey and Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Allvin. Allvin is the fourth U.S. military service chief to depart since President Donald Trump took office. In January, Trump directed the firing of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, and in February, he fired Gen. C.Q. Brown as chair of the joint chiefs of staff and removed Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. In April, he fired Cyber Command chief Gen Timothy Haugh.

The pattern is unmistakable.

See all high resolution photos here.