Thousands of Fresnans lined the streets at two “No Kings” protests on Saturday to rally against President Donald Trump and the aggressive mass deportations carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Protesters lined the sidewalks from Cary Park and stretched around Fashion Fair Mall to First Avenue. At a second demonstration, protesters lined both sides of Blackstone Avenue between Nees and El Paso Avenue next to River Park.
Though both protests took place simultaneously, the protest on Cary Park was organized by San Joaquín Valley Resistance (SJVR) while the protest on Nees and Blackstone Avenues was organized by Central Valley Indivisible.
One representative of SJVR says around 4,000 protesters gathered at their protest by noon on Saturday.
“We have an estimate of about 4,000, so it’s our biggest protest yet,” said Daney Riojas, a lead organizer for SJVR.
According to a statement by Mayor Jerry Dyer on Saturday evening, more than 2,000 people were present at the protests.
Dyer expressed his thanks to both protesters and law enforcement for keeping the demonstrations peaceful.
“This is yet another example of what makes Fresno a great city—where people can express their views peacefully and responsibly,” Dyer said in the statement.
Both protests saw an unending stream of cars honking their horns in support of the protesters, with many cars carrying American and Mexican flags and displaying picket signs criticizing President Trump, ICE and the current federal administration.
Riojas and a team of organizers coordinated using walkie-talkies and distinguished themselves from protesters by wearing high-visibility vests. They also set up a tent and tables at Cary Park with free food, water and masks for protesters.
They also noted that while law enforcement was present at the protest and have been for previous demonstrations they’ve organized, they have not had any issues with police officers thus far.
Riojas explained that the turnout from residents of diverse backgrounds showing up to talk about multiple issues overjoyed them.
“I’ve always told people that all of our problems are interconnected and it’s amazing for one to see so many different ethnicities and races here because it finally shows we’re all standing up together in solidarity,” Riojas said.
One of those residents was Sakokaias Maracle, a wolf clan member of the Mohawk Warrior Society and a Mexica Aztec.
“What kind of person would I be if I wasn’t here, standing up for my people?” said Maracle, adding “I’m here for the people that I meet and for those that I will never meet.”
Maracle admonished President Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles and criticized the aggressive mass deportations of ICE that have affected immigrants and citizens alike.
“All these ICE agents that you see that are kidnapping and abducting, that are breaking the law, that are forcibly removing my own people from their own lands are the ones that feel the need to cover their faces, from the cameras and wear riot gear,” Maracle said.
Maracle encourages all people, especially Indigenous peoples, to come out to demonstrate and urges people not to lose hope in each other.
Similarly, Karen Pugh, an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church who recently retired as a chaplain, hopes that concerned residents will come out and demonstrate.
“Today has been peaceful; it’s been wonderful to see all the different people and issues, so come out and let your voice be heard.”
Pugh explained that while she was not scared of the possibility of an escalation between protesters and law enforcement, the idea sat in the back of her mind. She admitted that it made her hesitant to show up on Saturday.
However, Pugh cited the assasination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in the early morning hours on Saturday as the reason she attended the protest.
“If we don’t stand up and show then everyone will think that it’s okay; we can’t remain silent,” Pugh said. “This administration is weaponizing the military against us and our local law enforcement; this goes against the Constitution and who we are.”
Isaac Vazquez, who showed up at the protest with an ice cream cart, said he attended because he wanted to show his support for immigrants who face deportation.
Vazquez also said he was at the protest to make some money, as his parents weren’t able to work on Saturday out of fears of being picked up by ICE agents after being informed about their supposed presence at the Cherry Avenue Auction.
“They were fearing that because we usually go every Saturday to the Cherry [Avenue] Auction; nobody’s going this weekend, everybody’s scared,” Vazquez said.
Vazquez criticized the indiscriminate nature of the mass deportations, saying most immigrants want to work hard to stay in the U.S.
“The government says ‘We want to arrest criminals,’ but they’re just picking up anybody, and that’s not fair because they’re just regular people trying to go about their daily lives,” Vazquez said.
‘I’m here to support the Constitution’
At the same time thousands of people flooded the sidewalks near Fashion Fair, hundreds lined the sidewalks near River Park along with countless motorists displaying their own signs and flags. Some cars even handed out water bottles to protesters.
For Adam Varriga, a veteran who served during the Gulf War during Operation Desert Storm and as part of the California Army National Guard, the protests in Los Angeles and the mobilization of both the National Guard and Marines by President Trump hit close to home.
“I’m here to support the Constitution and [the] people,” Varriga said, adding, “when they activated the guard and then the Marines, it hit on both sides for me.”
Varriga criticized the use of both forces, saying it was “not called for”, explaining “we all raise the same hand, we’re here to uphold the Constitution, not the word of a madman.”
Robert Sandoval, a resident wearing a “huelga bird” UFW shirt who explained he grew up in a Filipino labor camp in Delano, also criticized the president’s use of the military and Sheriff John Zanoni’s statement supporting President Trump’s actions.
Sandoval, however, was more amazed by the diverse ages of protesters.
“I’m also so glad to see the young kids come out of here, never did we have that before,” Sandoval said, explaining that he took part in strikes by the United Farm Workers earlier in his life.
Another protester and local resident, Norma Villagrana, said the ongoing mass deportations have also hit close to home.
“I’m here because why not? These people go to work every day and are here for a better life, these people deserve to be here just as much as everyone else,” Villagrana said.
Villagrana was also supportive of protesters holding signs for other issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and the war in Gaza.
“Everybody’s issues are important; it’s almost 2 o’clock and the streets are still full and Fresno turned out,” Villagrana said.
