SAN ANTONIO – The Mujeres Marcharan Coalition brought dozens of people together ahead of the “No Kings” demonstrations on Saturday.
The group called its event the “United Against Fascism Action and Rally,” aiming to condemn President Donald Trump’s military parade.
The event was held in Labor Plaza in downtown San Antonio, which is an area “dedicated to the labor movement in San Antonio, according to a speaker at the rally.
“We brought you together to protest not just against Trump’s accelerated fascist plans but to protest against the investment in militarism and imperialism in San Antonio,” one speaker said.
“When we have military on our streets, mass surveillance and people disappearing, we don’t live in a democracy,” another speaker said. “When women and people don’t have the right to an abortion or bodily autonomy, we don’t live in a democracy.”
Another rally attendee, Chelsea, stood at the rally and marched through downtown with the organization, holding an American flag upside down.
“We deserve the right to due process, and we deserve the right to a trial,” Chelsea said. “And that’s why the flag is upside down because the country’s in distress.”
The rally comes after weeks of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests across San Antonio, both outside of courtrooms and at job sites at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
“What I want to change, it probably would start with the immigration process because although a lot of people like to use the argument that, ‘Why don’t people do things the legal way?’ Sure, but also the immigration process is so outdated; it’s very hard, it is very expensive,” Chelsea explained.
People gave speeches and marched through the San Antonio River Walk and downtown area for a couple of hours ahead of the “No Kings” demonstrations at Travis Park.
Attendees and speakers made it clear that they don’t want ICE arrests to be happening in San Antonio and that the federal government has progress to make with them specifically before they rest.
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