More than 2,500 protesters gathered Saturday morning at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton for the “No Kings” protest, one of three scheduled in San Joaquin County over the weekend.
Hundreds of protesters began lining up along Pacific Avenue at 10 a.m. By noon, more than 2,500 had gathered in front of the college, stretching from the marquee sign to America’s Tire.
The Stockton protest, organized by Indivisible Stockton, Hands Off Stockton and SJC4DEI, was one of 1,800 planned nationwide Saturday, including more than 200 in California. The protests took place the same day President Donald Trump held a military parade in Washington, D.C.
The anti-Trump protests took on added significance in California after Trump ordered the National Guard and U.S. Marines into Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE immigration enforcement earlier in the week.
Organizers said the goal of the protests was to denounce midnight raids and masked abductions by federal immigration agents, troops patrolling the streets, guns pointed at peaceful protesters and cuts to vital services they say benefit Trump’s wealthy allies.
David Whitworth, a Manteca resident, was among the protesters in front of Delta College. He sat in a lawn chair with a sign that read “Super PACs Buy America, Overturn Citizens United” on one side and “U.S. Government for Sale, Highest Bidder Wins” on the other. The sign was adorned with three American flags.
“I’m out here to support the protests against the current administration’s policies,” Whitworth said. “I’m also sort of preaching to the crowds about the elephant in the room, which is that Citizens United and super PACs are taking over our political process.”
Whitworth said he began attending protests in May, including the May 10 “Hands Off! Stockton Fights Back” rally at Delta College.
“I really love this,” Whitworth said, referring to Saturday’s turnout. “There were a few people here in May, but not this. This really excites me, seeing that it has grown over time.”
Whitworth said he understands why some people don’t want undocumented immigrants in the country, but noted that some of those being deported have been part of his community for decades.
“If Trump were actually going after the criminals he said he was, I wouldn’t be upset about that,” Whitworth said. “If he were doing what he said he was going to do … but he’s doing what we all knew he was going to do. I’m not after Trump as much as I’m after getting America back to ‘Of the People, By the People, For the People.'”
Throughout the protest, honking from passing cars was constant. Many drivers blasted “FDT” by YG and Nipsey Hussle, while others displayed Mexican and American flags upside down. The American flag displayed upside down is a signal of distress or extreme danger.
Protesters carried signs that read: “America, you’re being conned,” “Fight for those without your privilege,” “Hail Trump? Hell no,” “If Melania doesn’t have to live with him, why do we?” “Prison without due process is a concentration camp,” “Real presidents respect the Constitution,” “Rule of law, not of man,” and “So bad even introverts are here.”
There were chants of “No kings here” and “Hands off my senator.” The latter was a reference to Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who was forced to the ground and handcuffed by federal law enforcement agents after he interrupted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference amid mass protests over the administration’s immigration crackdown on June 12.
A Delta College police car and a San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office vehicle could be seen keeping watch over the area from the parking lot.
No issues were reported during the protest, according to Delta College police.
Adriana Brogger, a professor of digital media at Delta College, said Saturday’s protest was personal for her. Brogger is an immigrant who came to Stockton from Costa Rica as a baby.
“I’m out here because it is important to support with action, whatever that action may look like,” Brogger said. “Today I have the privilege of having U.S. citizenship. I have a secure job, and I have many points of privilege that call me to show my action. I’m a member of this community. I’m a mother and I’ve raised my children here.”
Brogger was accompanied by Tina Leal, a resource specialist for Delta College’s Dreamers Success Center. They said faculty and staff hosted “Posters with Purpose” on June 12, an event where students learned how to protest safely and peacefully while creating posters for the protest. Some of the posters were given to attendees at Saturday’s demonstration.
The Dreamers Success Center will host another “Posters with Purpose” event on at 12:30 p.m. on June 25 in Holt 201 on the Delta College campus.
Leal, who was raised in south Stockton, said Delta College is doing a great job making sure students feel safe and secure, regardless of their immigration status.
“We told our students that even if they can’t or don’t feel safe to protest, people like myself and other wonderful faculty, staff and our board of trustees will come out and do so,” Leal said. “We’re encouraging peaceful protest and making sure they know their voices are heard, regardless of whether they’re here.”
Brogger said it was heartening to see how kind and peaceful the demonstrators were. She didn’t bring water but was offered food and water by several people.
“Today my heart was bursting with pride as I drove along Pacific and saw how Stockton came out,” Brogger said. “It is powerful to recognize that tyranny and fascism have no place, especially here in California. Californians from city to city are standing together in solidarity — not just with Los Angeles. We know an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
Brogger noted some people couldn’t attend the protest because they were afraid and vulnerable, including some of her students. She said she decided to show up to represent them.
“I would be absolutely wrong if I didn’t show up here because I’ve had the privilege of becoming a citizen after I was undocumented,” Brogger said. “I am comfortable saying that out loud today. There was a time I never would have said that out loud, and I know that right now our political climate is such that it’s still dangerous. I’m not saying that ignorantly. I’m aware of what I’m saying when I say it out loud.”
Brogger said she was privileged to access the American education system as an immigrant.
“I came to the community college system. I then went through the California State University system. I then earned a master’s degree, and today I’m a professor. This is what California’s public education school system has done. This is what it continues to do every day,” Brogger said. “Do not underestimate the power of the undocumented child, because they will grow up and they will contribute.”
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: ‘Fight for those without your privilege’: More than 2,500 protest Trump on ‘No Kings Day’ in Stockton
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
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