Crowds poured onto the streets of Long Beach Saturday to participate in the nationwide No Kings Day demonstration opposing the Trump administration.

By 10 a.m., crowds were carrying signs and banners as they marched along Ocean Boulevard. Drivers honked in support, drawing cheers in response. By noon, the number of participants grew from the hundreds into the thousands, filling the sidewalks. Rallygoers showed off intricate signs and inflatable costumes.

At one point, a bicyclist rode by and shouted racial slurs, but the demonstration was overwhelmingly peaceful.

This was the second No Kings Day protest organized by groups including 50501, which stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement. On Saturday, organizers said nearly 7 million people showed up to 2,700 events across all 50 states — 2 million more than the first No Kings event in June.

This wave of protest comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration raids and ordered the National Guard into multiple states over the objections of their governors.

“Today, millions of Americans stood together to reject authoritarianism and remind the world that our democracy belongs to the people, not to one man’s ambition,” Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, co-founders of Indivisible, which helped organize the event, said in a statement.

Many protesters took to wearing costumes such as Elvis, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Photo by Justin Enriquez. Photo by Justin Enriquez.
Ocean Boulevard was packed with protesters, many with noisemakers. Photo by Justin Enriquez

Len Webb, a 72-year-old who participated in the Long Beach rally, emphasized the urgency of the situation.

“There [are] some people sitting in detention right now who have done nothing. And they’ve been there for weeks and they don’t know where their families are,” he said.

A protester wearing an inflatable costume waits to cross the street toward Bixby Park in Long Beach, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Photo by Justin Enriquez.

At Bixby Park, speeches were delivered by organizational leaders and local politicians, including Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

Long Beach resident Randy Lobes stressed the broader significance of demonstrations like No Kings.

A volunteer helps protestors cross the street in Long Beach, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Photo by Justin Enriquez
A protester blows his horn in solidarity with the No Kings rally in Long Beach, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Photo by Justin Enriquez

“I think these demonstrations are effectively show[ing] the rest of the country that seems to support Trump that they are not necessarily in the majority,” he said. “We have the voting power here, as do other blue states.”

Many other rallies were also held around SoCal, including in Los Angeles, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach.