Major turnout at South Lake Tahoe No Kings protest
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Saturday’s “No Kings” protest had a major turnout from the community and beyond, filling up Lakeview Commons from traffic light to traffic light. The protest was in concert with the No Kings protests nationwide, which amassed nearly 7 million demonstrators.
The No Kings protest in South Lake Tahoe had involvement from SLT Solidarity, the South Lake Tahoe Democrats and the local Indivisible chapter. “We are seeing democracy being eliminated on a daily basis. We join over 2500 communities around the US in peaceful protest to stop this madness and to save democracy,” said Susan Chandler, chairperson for the South Lake Tahoe Democrats Club, in a press release.
South Lake Tahoe Indivisible leader Colleen Bye said in a press release, “The No Kings event is about standing shoulder to shoulder to defend our democracy, protect our planet, and raise our voices for those who cannot yet safely raise their own.”
Like many other No Kings protests around the country, South Lake Tahoe’s was peaceful, with some people showing up in inflatable costumes and others waving American flags. There were more attendees than the first No Kings protest earlier this year, though there were also a few dissenters. Several core issues to the Tahoe area, such as protecting public lands, standing up for immigrants and healthcare featured on signs.
Notably, there was also more presence speaking on issues such as humanitarian aid for Gaza–which was far less present at the first No Kings protest in South Lake Tahoe. A vigil for the children lost in the Gaza war was present in Lakeview Commons, and several protestors called for an end to colonization and deportation in conjunction with these issues.
Some attendees came from the surrounding areas, though there were also protests in Truckee and Carson City. Others who were traveling from the Bay Area, Oregon or Washington also came to the protest.
The turnout for the protest was estimated to be 2,000 people, and a headcount at peak hours of the protest was about 2,100.
Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.
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