Tens of thousands of marchers are expected for two “No Kings” protests concurrently scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 14 in downtown San Diego. With an eye on current immigration-related protests in Los Angeles, both organizers say extra efforts will be taken to keep the San Diego marches peaceful and safe.
Wendy Gelernter is an organizer of a 1.25-mile march beginning and ending at Waterfront Park. She says 35 trained “peacekeepers” will participate in the march. The peacekeepers will be civilians wearing yellow vests who’ve participated in a pair of training meetings.
“They’re trained to speak calmly, recognize disruptive people and know when to ask law enforcement for help,” says Gelernter, a retired scientist who lives in Pacific Beach.
A march that will begin at the Civic Center Plaza and also end at Waterfront Park is spearheaded by Mission Beach architect David Lombardi.
“The goal is to be positive and nonviolent,” Lombardi says. “If we mess up and it gets out of control we’ve defeated the purpose. If the National Guard shows up, we’ll tell people to go home.”
Both Gelernter and Lombardi participated in a similar, anti-Trump Administration “Hands Off” march held downtown on April 5. The SDPD reported 12,000 people marched that day. Organizers believe the attendance was at least twice that number.
Gelernter says her group is putting crowd estimate tools in place to accurately measure the turnout.
It’s uncommon for two different groups to march downtown and follow different routes to the same endpoint. Gelernter and Lombardi say they’ve spoken with each other to coordinate the morning efforts. Lombardi adds they are in complete cooperation.
He says he looked online for a No Kings protest in downtown San Diego, didn’t see one and started his own. Lombardi says he’d been promoting the march for two weeks before he heard about the other one.
The route for Lombardi’s march starts at Civic Center Plaza, goes north on Third Avenue and continues west on Ash Street until reaching Waterfront Park. Lombardi says he’s confident volunteers will step up to help him with safety oversight. His one concern is crossing over active railroad tracks.
I plan to have somebody at the tracks with a bullhorn,” Lombardi says. “And we’re completely coordinated with the police department.”
The march starting at Waterfront Park is likely to be larger. It’s co-organized by nearly a dozen local groups and clubs. Before that march, area politicians will address the crowd, including Congressmembers Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas, State Assemblymember Chris Ward, and San Diego City Councilmembers Stephen Whitburn, Joe LaCava, Sean Elo-Rivera and Raul Campillo.
The No Kings events are intended to represent a pro-democracy movement, Gelernter says. “We believe in the Constitution and a government by the people, not by an autocrat or a dictator,” she says.
Other No Kings marches are scheduled around San Diego County on June 14 in Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar, Mira Mesa, Chula Vista, El Cajon, El Centro and Temecula.
It’s estimated close to 2,000 No Kings protests will also take place on June 14 in cities around the United States.
On the same date, a military parade is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. It’s billed as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, falls on Flag Day and is the birthdate of President Trump. SDSun
