UKIAH, CA., 6/14/25 — On what is usually a quiet weekend morning in downtown Ukiah, hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday in front of the Mendocino County Courthouse for the “No Kings” protest.
The event was one of about 2,000 demonstrations held nationwide to protest President Donald Trump’s administration, among the largest coordinated protests across the country since the beginning of Trump’s term.
While the president held a military parade in the nation’s capital to celebrate both his birthday and the Army’s 250 birthday, the “No Kings” actions took place across the country to emphasize the resistance to his administration’s actions. The nationwide demonstrations were organized by several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible and the Service Employees International Union.
Spanning three city blocks along State Street, protesters, including veterans and teachers, held signs and flags with slogans opposing fascism and tyranny. Many of the signs also criticized the federal government’s policies on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and the U.S. support of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Cars and motorcyclists drove down State Street honking their horns, waving and cheering in solidarity with the protesters standing on the sidewalks.
One sign said, “Stand for democracy,” while another sign said, “I like ICE in my drinks, not in my streets,” a reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One younger protester, LilyAnna Gutierrez, a member of the Redwood Valley Rancheria, handed out “Know Your Rights” cards to demonstrators to share information about the constitutional rights of documented and undocumented immigrants in the country.
“I’ve had [the cards] at my house for a while, and we leave them at businesses and at work,” Gutierrez said at the protest. “Immigrants make [Mendocino County] the place that it is. Whether you’re a citizen or not, you have rights that you are entitled to. ICE is targeting people. It’s important for people to have these at all times,” she said of the cards.
Janet Rosen, a co-founder of Indivisible Ukiah, a chapter of the national Indivisible nonprofit organization founded in late 2016 in response to the first Trump administration’s actions, and one of the organizers of Saturday’s protest, estimated that about around 1,300 people attended the “No Kings” event in downtown Ukiah.
Rosen also explained why organizing these protests is crucial for the Mendocino County community.
“We realized that due to changes in the economy as well as the political situation, we needed to focus on community resilience,” she said. “We are doing a lot of grassroots organizing and reaching out to allies in the community. We are trying to figure out what support they need in these times.”
“We also need this kind of event to rally the community together. It’s the single best way to help people who would otherwise be at home doomscrolling,” she added. “To feel engaged with their community and to feel they aren’t alone.”
Vivianna Morfín, a social worker from Ukiah, wore a bandana with the colors of the Mexican flag and a black T-shirt with sayings such as “dream like Martin” and “lead like Harriet,” chanted with her friends. Their focus was particularly against the raids committed by ICE in recent weeks.
Morfín explained how protests can keep people informed of how to protect themselves under the Trump administration.
“It helps spread awareness of the resources that are available. It also shares resources for people that are struggling,” she said.
She also spoke about her desire to show solidarity at the protest and advocate for immigrant rights.
“We are trying to show up for basic human rights,” she emphasized. “As a person of color, we are being discriminated against whether we are U.S.-born or not. And we are showing up for every person regardless of race.”
The Ukiah protest was one of five official “No Kings” protests to take place in Mendocino County.
Read more on The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA
