Suzanne Potter, producer/reporter, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters across California are expected for “No Kings” rallies in at least 258 local communities this Saturday.
More than 2,400 events are planned nationwide. The protests are pushing back against an array of Trump administration policies, from immigration raids to cuts to social services, mass layoffs, political prosecutions, and the failures to lower prices and release the Epstein files.
Hunter Dunn is the national press coordinator for the 50501 movement based in Los Angeles, one of multiple grassroots groups organizing the rallies. Dunn explains the goal of the protests.
What’s behind ‘No Kings’ protests
“We’re not going to back down against in the face of chaos, corruption and cruelty,” Dunn stressed. “We’re going to make our movement bigger, and we’re going to hold politicians to account for capitulating to the billionaires funding Trump’s straight-up fascist agenda.”
President Donald Trump claims he is fulfilling the will of the voters who elected him last year. In June, the first “No Kings” rallies drew an estimated 5 million people, among them 750,000 Californians in 228 communities.
Dunn points out that many disparate groups are involved in “No Kings” day.
“No Kings Day is important because it brings all these people together and allows them to make those connections so they can keep making a difference in their community, every single day,” Dunn contended. “This is just the first lap of a very long race to defend democracy.”
Meaning of 50501 Movement
The name 50501 stands for “50 states, 50 protests, one movement.” Meanwhile, the group has declared its support for California’s Proposition 50. That controversial measure is on next month’s state ballot. It is a conditional redistricting of California in response to anti-democratic actions taken by several “red” states, including Texas.
