"No Kings" protests draw tens of thousands across the Bay Area
Protests in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose were part of the nationwide "No Kings" movement on Saturday.
The events were described as a "nationwide day of defiance" by organizers, and demonstrations happened around the country.
"From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like," a statement reads on the movement's website.
President Trump has commented on the "No Kings" rallies.
"I don't feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved," said Trump on Thursday. "A king would say, 'I'm not going to get this ... he wouldn't have to call up [House Speaker] Mike Johnson and [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune and say, 'Fellas, you've got to pull this off' and after years we get it done. No, no, we're not a king, we're not a king at all."
San Francisco
The San Francisco rally took place at Dolores Park and Civic Center Plaza.
An aerial photo of the protest in San Francisco showed hundreds of people on Dolores Street.
People began gathering at Dolores Park around 11:30 a.m. and began marching at noon. Demonstrators marched about a mile and a half to Civic Center Plaza.
Some demonstrators were at Civic Center Plaza ahead of the marchers.
"We're fed up with this tyranny. This fascism. This pure meanness of the federal government. It's shocking to see our democracy just being washed away," one demonstrator said.
"The way ICE is handling themselves is un-American. I think we have to have due process. Our secretary now doesn't even know what habeas corpus is," another demonstrator said.
He was referencing Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem giving what Sen. Maggie Hassan said was a wrong answer to the question of "what is habeas corpus" during a Senate hearing.
Oakland
The rally in Oakland began around 12:30 p.m. at Wilma Chan Park. Mayor Barbara Lee spoke at the rally.
"We have the right to protest. A right to make sure that our government is not unlawful, that it uplifts and supports the constitution and does not break laws," Mayor Barbara Lee said. "Just a moment of personal privilege, I was born and raised in a border town in El Paso, Texas, in an immigrant community, and I know what it's like to be intimidated, and I know what it's like to be worried, and I know what it's like to anxious. Let's make sure our immigrant communities know we stand with them."
California Assembly member Buffy Wicks was also in attendance at the Oakland rally.
"The message is enough is enough. This president is not a king. This is a democracy. A democracy where elected officials can ask questions, where elected officials are safe and where the people of our communities can stand up and protest peacefully," Wicks said.
CBS News Bay Area also spoke to a California Division of the Service Employees International Union member who was at the rally.
"Migrants. The people who don't have papers. I feel like we need to be their voice," an SEIU Local 1021 member said.
He also said that he was there because of the arrest of California Division of the SEIU leader David Huerta in Los Angeles. Court documents show he was arrested during a protest against ICE raids. He has since been released on a $50,000 bond.
According to rally organizers, they have been coordinating with Oakland Police, and they said that officers will not have a visible presence, but police will monitor depending on the situation.
Organizers said they have safety ambassadors and community policing in place and expect the rally to be peaceful.
Demonstrators in Oakland marched to Oscar Grant/ Frank Ogawa Plaza at 1 p.m. The march was led by a speaker on a truck. Organizers said they have people around the march cleaning trash and making sure it remains peaceful.
Marchers followed the speaker in chant, saying "We are the people" and "People Power."
A rally began at the plaza at 2 p.m. U.S. Representative Lateefah Simon and Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Director Zahra Billoo were among the speakers at the rally.
Simon spoke at the rally around 2:30 p.m.
"You cannot scare a people who have buried their martyrs and kept marching. You cannot shame a city that was raised by the (Black Panthers). You cannot erase the history written with the blood of working people," Simon said. "We will stand together. We will lock arms together and show them the beauty that is the Bay Area."
San Jose
The "No Kings" protest in San Jose began at noon at St. James Park.
Thousands of people made their way to St. James Park. Organizers expected around 6,000 people, but they said they now estimate around 10,000.
"It says that people care," said volunteer organizer James Kuszmaul. "It says that people care about their rights. It says that people care about other people's rights. About immigrants, about trans kids, about minorities, about veterans. And it says that people are willing to come out and take time out of their weekend and fight for that."
Watching as they flowed past, Laurence Hernandez reflected on his own immigrant connection.
"My grandparents emigrated from Guadalajara, from my father's side, and my grandparents from my mother's side emigrated from Melbourne, Australia," he said. "So, I'm kind of 'all of the above.'"
Former San Jose Vice Mayor Rose Herrera, an Air Force veteran, invited other former service members to stand with her as she spoke to the crowd.
"The Marines did not sign up for patrolling the streets of this country," she said. "The National Guard didn't sign up to work for President Trump in our state and none of us up here took an oath to a dictator, or to a king, or to a man or woman. We took an oath to the Constitution."
The San Jose event was arranged in conjunction with Indivisible, the group that organized thousands of protests across the country. No acts of violence or vandalism were reported during the San Jose march and rally.
San Rafael
A protest was held in San Rafael. People were waving American flags and chanting.
"This is a turning point for America. We rise together or we fall apart," said one woman from Marin.
One woman was holding a "Don't tread on me" sign with the California flag on it.
"We don't want that control in our state. We want freedom of speech and freedom of being ourselves," she said.
"It's time for everyone, not just to watch the news, but to take one action. This is it. This is our time," a third woman said.
