What's at stake:
Thousands of Fresnans took to the sidewalks stretching over a mile on Blackstone Avenue to take part in Saturday's "No Kings" protest.
Debbie Trejo said she was already “fed up,” when she arrived around 8:30 a.m., joining a steadily-growing crowd of protesters on Blackstone Avenue for a “No Kings” protest on Saturday, denouncing the policies and actions of President Donald Trump.
Trejo criticized Congress for what she described as a lack of accountability, questioning why Republican lawmakers have not pushed back more forcefully against Trump.
She pointed to a range of issues driving her morning attendance at the protest, from immigration raids to education and reproductive rights, and criticized Trump who she said is “now bored with the Iran War.”
“Republicans need to vote and have due process,” Trejo said. “People with their voices will be heard. Keep the faith. The administration doesn’t care about anyone or our kids.”
For the third time in Fresno since President Trump returned to the White House last year, thousands of peaceful protestors lined the streets, chanting “No kings, no clowns,”; “Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE”; and “Feed the people, not the war,” among other things.
Fresno joined millions who marched nationwide in “No Kings” protests in June and October 2025. What began as a single day of defiance has grown into a sustained nationwide movement.
Both days last year drew thousands of people carrying signs, banners, and flags, accompanied by a constant chorus of honking car horns. Across the country, millions are expected to join this year’s protests, signaling the movement’s growing strength.
This year, the energy remained high for hours as protestors in inflatable costumes, including frogs, giraffes, and axolotls, mingled with crowds, carrying signs and flags, while cars passed by blaring ‘Fuck Donald Trump,’ a lyric of a song called “FDT” by YG featuring the late Nipsey Hussle, along with other remix songs with lyrics about Trump.
Volunteers with Central Valley Indivisible, a local grassroots group that helped organize the ‘No Kings’ protests, estimated attendance at 10,000 people, the largest turnout they’ve ever seen.
Anti-protestors drove by wearing red hats or displaying pro-Trump flags, shouting at demonstrators, while some motorcyclists revved their engines, setting off car alarms in the Macy’s parking lot. Police patrolled the area throughout the protest and were posted on some sidewalks.
Many “No Kings” protestors cited the ongoing wave of aggressive mass deportations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that have captured a much higher percentage of nonviolent undocumented people than the so-called “worst of the worst.”
In Fresno, artists are turning fear and anger into anti-ICE art and small businesses are opening their doors to provide a safe space.
Greg Bovino, who led a January 2025 Kern County operation that became a testing ground for nationwide immigration raids, retired on Friday.
After federal agents fatally shot U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good in separate January incidents and the national outcry that followed, the Trump administration removed Bovino from his commander-at-large role, reassigned him to California and replaced him with border czar Tom Homan.
This time around, protesters also condemned the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran since Feb. 28, which the U.S. was never authorized by congress to start.
Norma R., a Fresno nurse who asked not to use her full name for fear of retaliation, spent about six hours painting a sign inspired by the new Pixar film “Hoppers.”
The artwork depicts a shark named Diane attempting to “squish the human king,” a reference she said reflects her frustrations with Trump’s political power.
Attending her first “No Kings” protest, she said worsening conditions compelled her to show up, adding that while she doesn’t identify as liberal on every issue, she believes the attacks on human rights keep getting worse.
“They can kill a nurse on the street and Trump is still not impeached,” she said. “Even though Fresno is red, we’re American. Both people who are red and blue are here today.”
The daughter of immigrant parents who worked in the fields, Norma said she is advocating for immigration reform and pushing back against what she described as growing division and misinformation surrounding international conflict.
Harmony Mendez, a Fresno music teacher, said she attended the protest out of concern for both her students and the country.
As an educator, she said she feels a responsibility to advocate for the next generation, citing both immigration issues and recent U.S. military actions abroad as reasons for attending. This includes the Jan. 3 U.S. raid and capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro, a military operation that has upended Venezuela’s political landscape.
“It’s important to stand up for our nation,” Mendez said, adding that fear, including concerns about profiling, keeps some people from protesting.
