Protesters rally in San Diego to mark one year of Trump's term
Hundreds of people gathered in San Diego on Thursday as part of a nationwide march and protest marking one year into President Donald Trump’s term.
The event, called the Free America Walk Out, encouraged participants to walk out of work, class or daily routines to demonstrate opposition to the current administration. It was hosted locally by the Women’s March and covered a wide range of causes.
Organizers set up a voter registration booth, and demonstrators carried signs addressing issues that included immigration, health care, women’s rights, peace and compassion.
“I think the more people are aware of how others are feeling and thinking, the more powerful we feel and less discouraged we feel,” protester Carolyn Allard said. “It’s important to represent.”
Participants marched around the perimeter of the County Administration Building before gathering out front. While the messages varied, organizers said the crowd shared a common purpose: protesting the current administration.
Marching protesters shouted, “Power to the people, no one is illegal” and “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” while carrying signs that said, ICE out of SD and ICE Cold Killers.
Along with the downtown event, several other walkouts were organized elsewhere in San Diego, National City, El Cajon, and Encinitas.
There were no immediate reports of any arrests in connection with the various actions.
Lisa Doell with the Women’s March said collective action is essential.
“It shows that all of us, collectively, can come together and fight fascism,” Doell said. “We know that it takes the masses of the people to really make change.”
Artists also took part in the demonstration, using creative expression to highlight their concerns.
“I saw a picture of a landscaper in zip-tie handcuffs, and it just popped,” artist Amy Laurel Hegy said. “And I thought I gotta do something way different than I’ve ever done before.”
Other causes mentioned during the rally included opposition to war and calls for the release of the Epstein files.
Despite the protests, Trump celebrated the end of his first year in office by holding a two-hour news conference at the White House touting his administration’s accomplishments, including his crackdown on people living in the country illegally and his claims of a strong American economy rebounding from “a mess” he says he inherited from previous President Joe Biden.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.
