'No Kings' Day demonstrations draw millions across Bay Area, US

OAKLAND, Calif. - An estimated nine million people were expected to participate Saturday in "No Kings" demonstrations across the United States, with at least 60 events planned in the Bay Area alone as protesters gathered to voice opposition to the Trump administration.

Video from Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, St. Paul and Minneapolis showed crowds gathering at demonstrations throughout Saturday morning. Organizers designated the St. Paul rally as a national flagship event, citing Minnesota as an epicenter of resistance to the president's immigration crackdowns following the deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal agents earlier this year.

Benicia ‘No Kings’ rally

What we know:

In the Bay Area, one of the first events of the day took place in Benicia, where a crowd of about 50 people at 9 a.m. grew to more than 150 within half an hour. Cars passing by honked in support as demonstrators — many wearing yellow as a symbol of solidarity — held signs and American flags.

State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, who represents District 3, attended the Benicia rally.

"This is the 250th anniversary of America, and there's nothing more American than protesting against kings and authoritarianism and supporting one another and then voting to make a change," Cabaldon said.

Cabaldon said California has been at the forefront of legal challenges against the administration.

"California's led the way in fighting the Trump administration in court to stop these unconstitutional acts," he said. "We have to fight them in the courts, but we have to fight them on the streets and then in the ballot box."

One demonstrator at the Benicia rally said frustration about President Trump and his actions brought him to the event.

"I'm stunned that we elected this guy," he said. "I just can't stand it. He just lies and lies and lies, and I have to come out and share this with everybody because it's just frustrating and embarrassing."

The "No Kings" protests are loosely organized by dozens of groups ranging from the ACLU to MoveOn to hundreds of smaller community organizations, with roughly 3,000 events planned nationwide. Their collective goal is to show opposition to Trump administration policies and what many protesters describe as an overreach of presidential authority that undermines the system of checks and balances.

‘Keep ICE out of SFO’

Also planned for Saturday was a "Keep ICE Out of SFO" rally and car caravan at San Francisco International Airport. Travelers heading to SFO in the afternoon were advised to expect possible traffic delays as the decorated caravan made its way through the terminals. 

Organizers said the rally was driven by concerns about immigration enforcement activity at SFO and other Bay Area sites that they say unfairly target immigrant workers.