Story and photos by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Over 1,500 gathered Saturday at the intersection of Foothill and Indian Hill boulevards in Claremont for a No Kings demonstration. It was the second local event organized by Indivisible Claremont, according to organization representative Victoria Bhavsar.

More than 2,500 No Kings events took place across the nation on October 18, with organizers predicting millions of participants. Bhavsar said people joined the Claremont event “because the Republican-enabled Trump administration keeps on doing things that do not support democracy. They want an authoritarian government, and we want a democracy.”

Over 1,500 demonstrators occupied Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards Saturday for a No Kings protest in Claremont.

Robert Alonso at the No Kings protest in Claremont on October 18.

From controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids—some of which have mistakenly detained American citizens—to what they described as the Trump administration’s disregard for the Constitution, demonstrators cited a range of actions and policies as their motivation for attending.

“I hate what he [President Trump] is doing, and I’m protesting now like I did in 1970 when the war in Vietnam was on,” said Peter Gallup of Claremont. “I hated that, I protested, and now I’m back. Everybody here believes the same thing and we all are upset with what Trump is doing.”

Robert Alonso of Glendora also referenced ICE raids. “The main thing that we really do not give attention to is how federal agents are assigned to take people off the streets,” he said. “There should be better protocols. There should be warrants. We should maybe have better police patrol and police control in those scenarios.”

Chere Dorman of Claremont pointed to poor conditions reported at detention facilities. “It’s absolute cruelty that I never thought our country would represent,” she said.

Playing a djembe drum, Peter Radovich of Pomona attended the No Kings protest in Claremont.

For her daughter, Lisa Dorman, the administration’s disregard for the Constitution—such as the deployment of military and National Guard troops to U.S. cities—was the tipping point. “They took an oath to the people, and we’re here to hold them to that oath,” she said. “The biggest thing for me is the complete lack and disregard for constitutional law.”

“Stop this insanity,” said Peter Radovich of Pomona. “Let’s go back to the way our country should be run, like with a Constitution, democracy, and a balanced Supreme Court.”

“If we don’t do something now, we’re going to lose our country,” said Angie Hacker of Claremont. “I’m pissed for my kids. I’m pissed for my climate. I’m pissed for my country.”

To lighten the atmosphere, more than a dozen demonstrators wore inflatable animal costumes ranging from capybaras to elephants and unicorns. Others carried handmade signs with witty messages challenging President Trump.

“It’s a showcase of humanity and how we want people to be treated with dignity and decency,” Alonso said. “And we don’t want this king stuff — this king jargon.”

“It’s not just what you see on TV,” added Lisa Dorman. “We’re here to fight for the freedoms of people who can’t stand up. We’re here to be the voice of everybody. We are the American people; we hold the power. If we don’t get out here, nobody else is going to fight this fight for us.”