‘No Kings’ protest draws thousands, along with Trump supporters, to Huntington Beach ...Middle East

Thousands of demonstrators packed the streets near the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday for a “No Kings Day” protest, clashing with supporters of President Donald Trump, in a noisy and chaotic standoff.

Protesters stretched for blocks along Pacific Coast Highway, waving signs and American flags as part of the national day of action timed to Flag Day, the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday and Trump’s 79th birthday. The event, dubbed “No Kings Day,” was organized by progressive groups who say Trump’s second term has taken an authoritarian turn.

By early afternoon, the scene in Huntington Beach had turned tense. Motorcycles revved, horns blared and chants competed across the street. On one side, protesters shouted “No kings!” and “86 47,” a chant they said was a call to resist Trump but that the administration has criticized as promoting violence. On the other, dozens of Trump supporters waved “Trump 2024” banners, chanting “USA! USA! USA!” back at them.

“This country has been led by an adjudicated rapist, draft-dodging dementia patient,” said Tina Jackson, who described herself as a disabled Marine Corps veteran who served for 12 years. “I didn’t serve my country for it to turn into a fascist country.”

She also condemned the recent immigration raids: “These very people are the fabric of the country,” she said. Turning to a heckler yelling “deport them all,” she snapped, “you’re on stolen land, you moron!”

Signs stretched across the street — “Trump is a faux-king joke,” “Vote Republican,” “Save our democracy” and “Trump is my president anointed by Jesus” — as iridescent glitter scattered along the pavement caught in the ocean breeze.

The roar of motorcycles revving engines and the blare of honking cars gave the scene an edge of chaos. At times, it wasn’t clear which side a driver was honking for. Whenever the traffic light turned red, both protesters and counter-protesters stepped off the curb and into the road, holding up signs and chanting as cars sat stopped at the intersection.

Police officers patrolled the area, reminding people to stay out of the road and off the center median. Still, tensions flared. At one point, two boys ran through the protest line waving a sign that read “Support your local ICE raids.” The older one, no older than 17, laughed, saying “Let’s go over there, that’s where all the Mexicans are.”

Amid the chaos, demonstrators voiced fear about the immigration raids unfolding across the country, a central grievance of the protest.

“I felt that somebody has to stick up for the little person,” said Jasmine Pilioseye, 43, a Huntington Beach resident. “I’m not deportable, so I’m doing this. My family is a bunch of military people and they fought for everyone. I have to do the same. The ICE raids are frightening and sad. I can’t stand to see my neighbors in fear.”

Diana, 28, came dressed in a green alien costume with an American flag cape. She declined to give her last name out of fear her undocumented neighbors could be targeted.

“The costume is because my family is from Mexico and we are immigrants. My family came here to have a better life. Not everybody is a criminal,” she said. “When Trump said he was going to deport just the criminals, he didn’t do that. People come here because they love America. My neighbors are scared and because some of them don’t have papers, they are scared that ICE will get them.”

Some Trump supporters, like Gilbert Briones of Paramount, said they showed up to support the rule of law.

“The other side never obeys the law. I’m here to uphold the law,” said Briones, 62, who wore a Trump 2024 hat and carried a large American flag.

Jay Sweeney, 64, stood at the edge of the crowd holding a sign that read “Don’t tread on me.” Sweeney, who said he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and then voted for Trump twice, said he’s getting concerned about the Trump administration’s actions.

“The raids are scaring people,” Sweeney said.

The Costa Mesa resident say he came to the protest to have conversations with people on both sides.

“Every single person here has something in common, we all need to listen to each other,” he said.

As the afternoon went on, the scene swelled to several thousand people. The glitter clung to the pavement, signs flapped in the breeze and chants rang out over the roar of traffic.

Ziom Francisco, 16, dressed in a military helmet and vest, said he wanted to channel Vietnam-era protest imagery.

“I’m out here to promote our rights and to let it be known we have a government that can’t be trusted,” he said. “ICE raids are unjustified.”

Some signs were serious, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty,” and others, humorous: “Elvis is the only king America needs” and one from a little girl that read, “I miss it when Elsa was the only ICE queen.”

Eric Kessler, 71, held a sign that read, “A military parade for a draft dodger is crazy.”

“I think what is going around in this country is sickening,” said Kessler, a Seal Beach resident. “He’s a liar, he’s a felon, he is disrespected throughout the world.”

Kessler also denounced what he described as military involvement in immigration enforcement operations.

“The military is not supposed to be here,” he said. “They are supposed to be for the people.”

A bystander on a bike shouted, “You guys are sheep! We’re only deporting illegals. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

But Thomas Hutchinson, 56, said the raids weren’t what Trump had promised.

“He said he would target specific criminals. But they’re going into areas to terrorize a community and even get people who have no criminal records,” Hutchinson said.

By 3 p.m., the crowd had begun to thin. Police cars occasionally circled the intersection and a few stragglers still waved signs or lingered in small groups, but the earlier surge had largely calmed. Mounted patrol arrived a little after 3 p.m. and arrested one individual, though it was unclear which side the person was affiliated with or what prompted the arrest.

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