Inflatable animal costumes and Dolores Huerta take center stage as ‘No Kings’ protests bring 18,000 to streets of Santa Cruz County

Thousands of people took to the streets of downtown Santa Cruz and Watsonville on Saturday participating in a follow-up to the “No Kings” rallies earlier this year protesting the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guards troops in American cities and other federal policies. 

The Santa Cruz protests, organized by local chapters of political group Indivisible, were part of a nationwide “Day of Defiance” movement. Nearly 2,600 rallies took place across the country this weekend to take a stand against President Donald Trump. The “Day of Defiance” demonstration followed a June rally that drew more than 10,000 participants to the same location.

An estimated 15,000 protesters turned out in Santa Cruz, where they gathered for a rally in San Lorenzo Park before marching through the streets of downtown. Another 3,000 flooded Watsonville’s downtown plaza on Saturday afternoon. 

Inflatable costumes were the outfit of choice for protestors, with many dressed as chickens, dinosaurs, frogs and animated characters like Pikachu. Saturday’s fashion trend was inspired by a protestor in Portland, Oregon, who went viral earlier this month after federal agents aimed tear gas toward the costume’s air vent. 

Following that incident in Oregon, the frog seemingly became the symbol of resistance for this weekend’s “No Kings” protests as people carried signs with the green amphibian animal in Santa Cruz, and others in Watsonville passed out frog stickers to fellow protestors. 

Santa Cruz residents Bob and Lisa Benson came to the Santa Cruz rally Saturday morning in matching inflatable frog costumes. The couple told Lookout that they dressed up to show that they were nonviolently protesting. The pair added that it was important for them to participate in the “No Kings” rally to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the current federal administration. 

Dressed as a rubber chicken, Santa Cruz resident and military veteran Gary Garcia said he wanted to express fun and nonviolence with his outfit choice as he protested “the terrible things our government has become.” 

“You can’t have a representative democracy if people don’t show up and talk about politics and talk about what they want, what values they want represented by their government,” Garcia said. “So showing up is very, very important.” 

With her team of artists beside her, Maureen Davidson, a Santa Cruz local, was one of many who helped design a 10-foot-tall Lady Justice float that caught everyone’s attention, with people stopping to take pictures with the statue. “It’s all based on the justice statues that are outside of courthouses,” she said. “The idea is, if justice is blind, then there will be equal justice for all.”

Speakers including community organizer Stephanie Barron Lu and former Yosemite National Park ranger Shannon “SJ” Joslin addressed the crowd in San Lorenzo Park before protestors began marching through downtown Santa Cruz. 

“Democracy only happens when we actively participate in it,” said Barron Lu. “We must get out. We must vote. We must be kind to each other.” 

Amanda Harris Altice, a co-organizer of the Santa Cruz rally on behalf of Indivisible Santa Cruz County, told Lookout that she was thrilled by the huge turnout, adding the size of the crowd was an indication the movement continues to grow. “It’s great to have the masses of people, and you need that to create really big, deep change,” she said. 

Harris Altice said the Santa Cruz rally was organized by a small group of just 10 people, showing that individuals do have the power to do something that can have a meaningful impact on the country. “Democracy is for all of us, and it’s here for all of us,” she said. Jenny Evans, another co-organizer of the rally, added: “I loved seeing people of all ages. It gives me hope.”

In Watsonville, joy and a celebration of different cultures were at the forefront of the rally in its downtown plaza. Protestors waved American and Mexican flags while wearing traditional Mexican clothing like embroidered blouses while others donned red, white and blue to symbolize their patriotism. 

Performers honored Indigenous culture with traditional dances and burned sage, an act intended to bring peaceful and positive energy to the protest. And like at most rallies held at the downtown plaza, drivers passing through Main Street showed their support for protestors by honking their horns and some played anti-Trump anthems like “FDT” by rapper YG. 

Longtime labor leader Dolores Huerta addressed the Watsonville rally, drawing attention from nearly all of the 3,000 participants. The 95-year-old highlighted the city’s activist spirit, referencing the 1985 cannery strikes. 

“When Watsonville decides to do something, guess what?” Huerta said. “We win,.”

Huerta called the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement across the country an attack on people of color. “We are going to resist, and we’re going to keep on protesting until it stops,” she said. 

She also encouraged the crowd to take action at the state level, advocating for Proposition 50 — a ballot measure that proposes to create new lines for California’s 52 congressional districts, which could create five new seats for Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Huerta said that the ballot measure will help lay the groundwork to help put new people into Congress, and “kick out” those who have been in support of Trump’s policies.   

“Who’s got the power?” Huerta asked the crowd. “We have the power!” 

Former public health nurse and Capitola resident Jill Landis told Lookout that she chose to attend the Watsonville rally because of the fondness she has for the community, especially its Latino and immigrant communities. 

She suspects that some undocumented members of the Latino community decided not to participate in the rally because they were fearful that federal immigration agents could show up to arrest and deport them. “We need to stand up for them and ourselves and our kids and our country,” Landis said. 

Aptos resident Dennis Doo, attending the Watsonville rally, said that events like “No Kings” make a statement that he hopes the rest of the country will react to and join the movement against the current administration’s policies. “A lot of times people are sitting on the sidelines and they’re just saying, well, it’s not happening directly to me, but you’re next,” Doo said, referencing that anybody could be impacted by federal policy changes. “You could be next.”

Ava Martin and Valeria Ramirez, both first-year students at UC Santa Cruz, described the atmosphere at the Santa Cruz rally as peaceful and surrounded by community. “People are finally standing up and it’s beautiful,” Martin said as Ramirez nodded in agreement. 

Also in attendance was Lauren Wehey, a first-time protester, who said she was proud to be a part of this event. “I know that there are a lot of people gathering because we bring strength by numbers,” she said. 

Barbra Baker, a local educator who has seen the effects of budget cuts from the education system first-hand, remarked how there is less aid and fewer resources for undocumented families. “Families are fearful of even putting their children in school because of their fear of ICE and being deported,” she said as she held her bright neon green sign with the words “Democracy, No Kings.” 

Among the sea of people in Santa Cruz was Ron Richardson, a UCSC alum and resident of Scotts Valley, who said this rally was larger than the ones he’s attended in the past. “It seems bigger and like we’re understanding how serious this is,” he said as people began chanting “Donald Trump has got to go!”

Photo gallery: “No Kings” protests in Santa Cruz and Watsonville

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