7K Join Tri-Valley No Kings Protests: Organizers

TRI-VALLEY — An estimated 7,000 people attended two No Kings rallies at Amador Valley Community Park in Pleasanton and Portola Park in Livermore, according to organizers.

The first rally began in Livermore’s Portola Park, where about 4,000 people listened to remarks from speakers Faith Alpher and Michael Mosby, as well as a drumming circle and protest songs from local bands.

Protesters then lined both sides of Portola Avenue and North Livermore Avenue to display signs and costumes. The protest also included a “human services plaza” where local nonprofits like Livermore Advocates for Public Education, NAMI Tri-Valley, and the Tri-Valley Haven Food Pantry provided information on local community services opportunities and collected signature for a ballot initiative to restore funding to local transit through a sales tax increase.

The Pleasanton rally also featured tables from local nonprofits, and speeches from organizations like the Sierra Club, the SEIU UHW union, Planned Parenthood, Indivisible Youth, the ICE Out of Dublin Coalition, and Swing Left Tri-Valley. Granada High School teacher Laura Brown also spoke on behalf of Miguel Lopez, a Livermore resident detained by ICE in June on his way to an immigration hearing.

For about an hour, roughly 3,000 attendees held signs along Santa Rita Road.

“History has shown that nonviolent movements led by the people, like all of you, are how we defeat dictators and would-be kings. And that's the good news, and that's what gives me hope,” said Indivisible Tri-Valley organizer Ward Kanowsky in an opening statement to the Pleasanton rally.

Thousands attended dozens of No Kings events spread throughout the Bay Area on Saturday, including an estimated 100,000 in San Francisco. Nationwide, an estimated 8 million people took part in over 3,300 protests.

SEE ALSO:

• Thousands Attend No Kings Rally In Pleasanton
• Thousands Attend No Kings Protest In Livermore