A crowd of several thousand demonstrators gathered peacefully in Palisades Park on Saturday morning to protest what many described as a sharp erosion of democratic values, the targeting of immigrants and an increasingly militarized tone from the federal government under President Donald Trump.
Organized loosely in response to reports of immigration raids and the possibility of a military parade marking the President’s birthday, the protest drew an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people to the ocean-facing park, where elected officials joined local residents in denouncing federal policies and calling for solidarity.
Speakers included Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, State Senator Ben Allen, Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis and councilmembers Dan Hall, Jesse Zwick, Barry Snell, Ellis Raskin and Natalya Zernitskaya. Despite some apprehension from local businesses, the event remained entirely peaceful, with Santa Monica police closing part of Ocean Avenue to accommodate the crowd.
“We’re at a crossroads,” Zbur told the audience. “What kind of nation are we when ICE arrests hardworking immigrants who have never committed a crime? When the President talks about arresting the Governor? When union leaders are jailed for peacefully protesting?” He went on to denounce proposed federal budget cuts to healthcare and social services, characterizing them as attacks on the vulnerable to fund tax breaks for the wealthy.
Zbur, who chairs the Assembly Democratic Caucus, framed the day’s protest as part of a broader struggle to uphold American values in the face of authoritarian threats. “We will never bow to a king again,” he said, drawing loud applause. “We must be peaceful, but we must not be silent.”
Mayor Negrete, speaking next, opened by setting aside prepared remarks. “My husband reminded me [that] what makes me unique is speaking from the heart,” she said. “So I said, fuck it. I'm going to speak from the heart.”
She recounted how her parents became US citizens when she was in elementary school and how her multicultural family is emblematic of what she described as the American story.
“We were promised that only felons and criminals would be targeted,” she said. “But what we are seeing is hardworking individuals who are trying to become citizens, being profiled and pulled off construction sites.”
Negrete urged the community to resist spreading unverified rumors about immigration enforcement, warning that misinformation was fueling unnecessary fear. “There is an entire immigrant population, both documented and undocumented, living in paralyzed fear,” she said. “Please confirm your first-hand information before you share it.”
She also addressed concerns about public safety and stressed that the Santa Monica Police Department, which she noted is more diverse than the community it serves, was there to safeguard free speech and ensure any bad actors did not disrupt the peaceful nature of the event.
“I see children here. My kids are here,” she said. “Let’s show them how we raise our voices. Let’s show them how we protest with class and how we do it right.”
State Senator Ben Allen took the stage soon after and used the occasion to remind the crowd of the nation’s ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union. He invoked historic figures from Washington to Chavez and King to underscore the continuity of peaceful dissent in American life.
“We are here standing up in a proud American tradition of protest against those who want to harm the values that make this country great,” he said.
Allen, who has been active in opposing federal legal overreach, said California is pushing back through the courts. “Our Attorney General has been filing lawsuit after lawsuit and has been winning,” he said. “There are judges who still understand that we need to put a pause on this madness.”
He called the deployment of US troops to quell domestic dissent “deeply un-American,” adding that “it’s wild to me that this President, who hesitates to send troops overseas, is eager to send them onto our own streets.”
Councilmember Dan Hall, an Army veteran, delivered one of the most forceful rebukes of the day, challenging both the militarization of immigration enforcement and what he described as a betrayal of constitutional principles.
“Los Angeles is not a war zone,” Hall said. “Don’t you dare send in federal agents like shock troops and call that patriotism. Don’t you dare terrorize our immigrant neighbors and call that law and order.”
He reminded active duty military personnel that their oath is to the Constitution, not to a President. “We swore an oath to a constitution, not to a king, not to a tyrant,” he said.
Local businesses had braced for potential unrest, a lingering fear from the events of May 2020 when protests turned violent. Some stores downtown, including Jack’s Jewelers, Burton and Sand ’n Surf, boarded up their windows. Fred Fitness closed for the day and the grand opening of Bacio di Latte was postponed.
But by afternoon, it was clear the measures were unnecessary. The protest ended without incident, with residents dispersing peacefully after hours of speeches, chants and applause. Police reported no arrests, no injuries and no significant disruptions.
While political divisions were evident in the content of the speeches, the tone of the event remained centered on unity, dignity and the call to action through peaceful means.
“We’re not afraid of different ideas,” Allen said. “We embrace them here.”
As demonstrators slowly filtered out of the park, waving flags and holding signs, the sense of calm and shared purpose remained. For a community still mindful of turmoil from five years ago, Saturday offered a different memory, one of resolve, compassion and collective voice.
scott.snowden@smdp.com