Two of Los Gatos’ busiest streets bustled louder than usual as hundreds of protesters turned out for No Kings demonstrations and drivers honked at them in support.
“No Kings” day started in June on President Donald Trump’s birthday as a way to protest “his authoritarian power grabs,” according to the organizers’ website. On Oct. 18, nationwide No Kings protests were planned to protest Trump’s orders to send the National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers into U.S. cities and his policies gutting healthcare, environmental protections and education. The movement spanned over 2,700 events in all 50 states and involved over seven million people, according to the No Kings website.
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Photos: Millions turn out across the country for the “No Kings” protest
Marian Schain, a resident at the Terraces of Los Gatos, organized a No Kings rally that was attended by other Terrace residents and their family members. She said that she and other residents were scared for the future and wanted to hold a protest to show that they care about their families and to stand up for the freedoms they’ve enjoyed.
“We’ve gone through and been a large part of history, and we’ve seen what has happened in the past and we do not want to have the major problems that we foresee come about, so it’s up to us to protest,” Schain said.
Schain said her biggest concerns include people being taken from their families without any concern for the law and the Trump administration’s efforts to cut healthcare and nutrition support.
“Making health insurance unavailable will have a terrible effect on peoples’ health. … Cutting off SNAP so children will be expected to learn at school when they have an empty stomach is cruel,” Schain said. “Trump and the government need to show that they care about people’s needs.”
Schain’s concerns were echoed by the dozens of people at the protest on the sidewalk next to the Chevron gas station at Blossom Hill Road and Los Gatos Boulevard.
Sharon Roth, another resident of the Terraces, held a sign that said, “I need to be able to tell my grandchildren I did not stay silent.” She criticized the Trump administration for sending the National Guard to American cities and dismantling healthcare and public education.
“I’m afraid if things continue as they are, my grandchildren will never know the country that I grew up in, where we do have freedom, where there’s not a fascist sitting in the White House, and that everybody should have equal rights and education and healthcare,” Roth said.
Terraces resident Ruth Sporer held a sign that referenced diversity, equity and inclusion policies at the rally, saying it encompassed how she feels about where the country is headed.
“It would be lovely to remember that people who differ with us are people who deserve respect,” Sporer said.
Sporer said she had been involved with politics in the past, looking up to Martin Luther King Jr. as a hero for his efforts to create a more inclusive and just country.
“You cannot grow if your entire encompassing is your own private benefit,” Sporer said, referencing Trump’s motivations. “America is maybe not a melting pot, but a quilt or a mosaic, and a mosaic is only as beautiful as all of its parts, and we need to understand the value of difference, that sameness has its own limitations.”
A man who did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation for his anti-MAGA stance said he was largely concerned about how the Trump administration seems to protect the interests of wealthy people, saying, “It was never that way before.”
When asked why Los Gatos residents might feel strongly about Trump’s governance, the 50-year resident said, “It’s not just wealthy people (in Los Gatos). People really care about each other. It’s a very community-oriented city, and they have a lot of aid for people who need it.”
A larger protest happened at the Tesla facility on Los Gatos Boulevard, attracting over 600 people. A woman who wanted to go by the initials M.M. for workplace reasons said she was affected by several actions the Trump administration had taken. The research she worked on had been impacted by cuts to the National Institute of Health, and she said she was worried about her parents and friends who lived in Chicago, where Trump recently sent the National Guard.
“It’s overwhelming. There’s a lot of news every day. It’s hard for people to keep track and keep motivated, and things like this, like the No Kings protests, are really a great way to get energy back up,” she said.
