‘No Kings’ protest planned in Merced. Organizers emphasize nonviolence
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- Merced will host a No Kings rally Saturday, Oct. 18 at Courthouse Park, 10 a.m.–noon.
- Organizers urge nonviolent action, ban weapons and call for de-escalation.
- ACLU notes speech protections and limits; police must treat sides equally.
In Merced and across the country, a second wave of “No Kings” rallies are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18 to protest the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration.
The protests follow protests in June that millions of people joined nationwide. In Merced, hundreds turned out Jun. 14, making it the city’s largest protest in decades.
According to the flyer shared on mobilize.us by organizing group Indivisible, the protest is set to begin at 10 a.m. and end at noon. Participants are to convene in Courthouse Park, along M and West 21st streets.
Protestors have the right to express their views with some limitations.
“The First Amendment and the California Constitution protects your right to expressive speech,” Chessie Thacher, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, previously told The Sacramento Bee.
“That means that you have the right to say what you want to say, but with exceptions,” Thacher said. These exceptions include true threats, defamation, harassment and obscenities.
According to the ACLU of Northern California, counterprotesters also have the right to demonstrate and “Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally,” the organization said.
Event organizers wrote on their event webpage, “A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
