As the Trump istration concluded its third week in power — with 53 executive orders challenged by 41 lawsuits, an incursion led by Elon Musk into the U.S. Treasury blocked Saturday by a federal judge, and a push to again impeach President Donald Trump — San Diegans engaged in their own form of dissent: sustained, peaceful protest.
For at least the third time this week, they marched to voice anger, fear, courage and resistance to hate, fascism, oligarchy and eroding civil rights.
At a Sunday morning protest, which started at Waterfront Park and wove through downtown, people came from Point Loma, El Cajon, Vista and Santee. There were babies, high school students, families and retirees in a crowd that appeared to easily top 1,000 people.
They were united in protesting two U.S. leaders — Elon Musk and President Donald Trump — and one scourge: fascism. “Hey hey, ho ho, Nazis have got to go,” attendees chanted. While the president was a primary focus, at least as much of crowd’s ire was directed at Musk, who is the appointed head of the new Department of Government Efficiency and whose directives have aimed to shrink the federal government and replace civil servants with new hires loyal to the current istration.
“The people will not bend down and let Elon Musk ravish the treasury and destroy regulations meant to protect the people,” Carla Severe told the crowd through a megaphone minutes before the march began. “Elon Musk is an enemy of the people.”
The event was not organized by one entity and was d through social media posts.
‘Spirit of hatred’
An afternoon vigil organized by local churches had a more singular focus: Protecting immigrants.
St. Joseph Cathedral downtown fits about 900 people, and every pew was filled by early afternoon. Hundreds more filled up the aisles before spilling out onto the sidewalks, and organizers estimated that around 1,500 showed up.
Faith leaders and congregants shared story after story of families being separated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. “We must speak now and proclaim that this unholy misery and suffering, and yes, war of fear and terror, cannot be tolerated in our midst,” Roman Catholic Cardinal Robert McElroy told the crowd. “We must speak up and say: Go no farther.”
The event was likely the cardinal’s last major public appearance in San Diego before he takes over the diocese in Washington, D.C.
At another point, the head of Catholic Charities shared the addresses of websites in English (www.emergencysafetyplan.org) and Spanish (www.plandeemergencia.org) that direct people what to do if they’re detained by immigration officials.
Soon it was time to march. The predominantly Latino crowd poured out of the cathedral and quickly filled a city block, then two, then three. Leaders warned the marchers not to engage with any counterprotesters, but most ersby downtown just watched the procession quietly. Several attendees carried signs reimagining Jesus, Mary and Joseph as modern day asylum seekers. One banner featured the Bible verse Leviticus 19:34: “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.”
The throng stopped at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, a structure used by ICE. Elected leaders, including U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, ed church leaders on a stage near the entrance.
“Thanks to the United States of America for welcoming all of us,” Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano told attendees, many of whom waved small U.S. flags. He asked everyone to pray for those working inside the building. Everyone turned toward the structure and raised their hands in the air. “I pray in your name, gracious and loving God,” Bejarano said, “that any evil and spirit of hatred be destroyed here and in every federal building.”
“Amen,” the crowd called out.
‘It’s a regime’
In interviews at the Waterfront Park march, people said they weren’t just marching for causes that directly affect them.
“I am a lesbian and my partner is in the military,” said a 31-year-old woman who gave her name as Rome. “This is just all really important — to stand up for all of us.”
Abby Deckert, 17, a senior at Santana High School, was upset about Trump’s “plans for taking over Palestine and especially how he claims he wants to encourage Palestinians to permanently move away from their land,” Deckert said. The high schooler added that marching was a way to put pressure on lawmakers to care for the environment.
A 52-year old U.S. Navy veteran who lives in North County, and who gave his first name as Cliff, said he was afraid to give his last name, out of fear of facing consequences from the government for dissenting. “It’s terrifying, the direction we’re heading in,” he said. “What this regime — it’s not an istration, it’s a regime — what they’re allowing to have happen, without any consideration for the people that they are elected to take care of.”
Cliff said he was especially concerned with Musk. “He has access to my disability records, medical information, my address, Social Security number,” he said. “Are all these tech bros — are they going to stop my payment because I put something on Facebook or other social media, or I’m out here being interviewed or on video?”
Musk’s team so far has gained access to critical data in the Department of Labor, Department of Treasury and Department of Education. These include “medical and financial records of millions of Americans, including those who have filed safety complaints about their employers,” The Associated Press reported. Musk’s workers have also shown up at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric istration, The Associated Press also reported.
Severe’s speech to the crowd wove together the ascendance of Musk, the move by Musk to cull the federal workforce, the push for tax cuts for the most wealthy Americans, the erosion of economic opportunities for middle and working-class Americans and a weakened contract between voters and the elected officials who have lost trust of their constituents.
The 37-year-old said she sees the rapid deployment of Trump’s multiple executive orders as “a strategy to overwhelm. It is a strategy to depress. It is a strategy to weaken. It is a strategy to destroy hope. But we cannot destroy hope. We have to rise up.”
Marshall Hullin, of El Cajon, spoke about the importance of collaboration and communication as ways to protect and preserve democracy. “Don’t let them erase history,” he told the crowd. “We have a duty to our forefathers. We have a duty to our children and their children.”
“I know a lot of you may disagree on this, but don’t hold contempt for those in MAGA. I think they’re really disillusioned. I think they need a lot of love. I think they need a lot of help,” he said. “So don’t turn your back on anybody.”
