CONCORD, CA (Apr. 20, 2025) — On Saturday, the plaza outside the Concord BART station echoed with chants, protest songs, and impassioned speeches as local residents joined in a coast-to-coast demonstration marking the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. While honoring the legacy of the American Revolution, rallygoers in Concord, California symbolically linked arms with protestors in Concord, Massachusetts—and across the nation—with a shared rallying cry: “No more kings.”

The April 19 event was part of a broader movement calling for a peaceful, non-violent resistance to what organizers describe as authoritarian tendencies under President Donald Trump and his political allies.

“Today we join the millions of Americans who have hit the streets this month to call for a second, peaceful, non-violent revolution to resist the tyranny of King Donald,” said Frank Sterling, a producer and host at KPFA Radio in Berkeley. Sterling read from a joint statement issued by the rally organizers in Concord, Mass., condemning anti-immigration enforcement and other policies enacted under Trump: “We see the Trump administration sending out their ICE soldiers to abduct our friends, our families, our international students and our loved ones right off the street. And we’re here to say no to that today.”

Protest signs filled the plaza, bearing messages that decried fascism, oligarchy and cuts to federal programs. Many signs called out both Donald Trump and Elon Musk for actions and policies they viewed as damaging to democracy, social welfare, and the environment.

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Local leaders demand action

The rally’s opening speaker, identified only as Meredith, delivered a fiery call to action. “Trump is launching attacks on the basic principles of our democracy. His illegal power grab must be stopped,” she said. “Trump and his toadies are disabling our government by gutting services and racing toward slashing Medicaid, Social Security, and environmental protections. In the process, they’re taking away our rights as provided in the Constitution.”

Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer took to the mic with a rallying cry: “Are you ready to fight?” She criticized the Trump administration’s tariff policies for harming small businesses and shared her frustration over $20.6 million in frozen federal grants for Concord. “These grants were meant for things like tree planting, replacing our streetlights with LEDs, fixing roads, and shoring up our bridges,” she said. “Does that sound partisan or DEI to you?”

She also encouraged attendees to shift their spending habits. “I’ve cut the cord with Amazon Prime. With our small businesses negatively impacted, we need to support them now more than ever.”

Shoshana Wechsler of the Sunflower Alliance focused on environmental justice, opposing fossil fuel expansion and calling attention to Contra Costa County’s industrial legacy. “To Trump’s call to ‘drill baby drill,’ we say no new oil and gas drilling in Contra Costa. This county has 60 square miles of contaminated brownfields. That land—and our people—needs to be brought back to health.”

Silencing history

Albert Ponce, a professor at Diablo Valley College and son of immigrants, highlighted the attack on education and the suppression of truthful U.S. history. “We’re seeing the removal of books and efforts to block teaching about the racist foundations of this nation,” he said. “We must teach the totality of U.S. history from the perspective of those who endured racial violence.”

Throughout the rally, protest songs and chants rang out in support of democracy, environmental protection, and civil rights. While emotions ran high, speakers and organizers emphasized that the movement must remain grounded in peace and non-violence.

As the crowd dispersed, the message was clear: The fight for justice, equity, and democracy continues—through action, solidarity, and civic engagement.