What is LA's South Bay?
I also mentioned this last time, because not everyone who reads this is familiar with Southern California geography. My local No Kings event — like the last few protests I took part in, organized by many of the same groups — was situated in front of city hall in Torrance, CA, a spot just a few miles from my home in Redondo Beach. It was meant to represent the whole of the South Bay... coastal and coast-adjacent cities southwest of DTLA that includes the Beach Cities (Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach), Torrance, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, other local cities like Carson, Gardena, Lawndale, Lomita, and nearby LA neighborhoods like Harbor City and San Pedro.
This area — where I've spent most of my life since 1975 — spans a wide range of income groups, racial makeups, national backgrounds, political outlooks, and more. It also accounts for nearly a half million people. It's not an insignificant populace, and a good portion of people here lead active lifestyles and are hard workers. And we care about the world around us. At least most of us seem to. I love it here, and always have.
Arrival
Both Kat and I were very much aware that this was going to be a big event. Bigger than the previous ones, which were wildly successful in their own right. But that hypothesis became reality when we pulled up to the parking area near Maple and Maricopa. Previous events — even the big ones, like the last No Kings — still had plenty of parking in that massive lot.
But yesterday, on October 18, the lot was 4/5ths full when we arrived early. And as we pulled up, the streets — again, still 15 minutes before the official start — were already packed full of sign-wielding protestors on both sides of Torrance Boulevard, stretching for a half mile.
Size Matters
Right from the start, I knew that the October 18 No Kings event in Torrance was at least twice as big as the previous one, and my suspicions were confirmed later that night when the official attendance number was delivered by Beach Cities Democrats. They had the Torrance No Kings attendance at 40,000 people. That's not a typo. It's twice as many people as could fit in Crypto Arena where the Lakers play. It was fucking huge. It was — with zero doubt — the largest single protest action in the history of the South Bay. I am proud to have been a small part of it.
Why is the crowd size important? Very simple: it's a tangible indicator of the energy that the populace has to get out and force change. Think of it this way: for every person who physically attended these events, there were at least twice as many (if not way more) who supported it, but couldn't make it out for various valid reasons. And the huge majority of the people are voters.
Coming into some special elections in a few weeks, and with the 2026 Midterm national election in just over 12 months, the more people who are energetic and engaged, the higher the voter turnout will be. And make no mistake: while we come from varied backgrounds and have our own priorities on what to fix and when, our one and only united goal is to flip the House and Senate in 2026. That will effectively neuter Trump, and many of the cruel and often illegal programs he has in place can be rescinded and defunded. It matters a lot.
Festive Local Vibe, Huge Local Support
I know — because I spoke to them in person — it was the first time protesting for a good chunk of our crowd in Torrance. They couldn't have picked a better occasion to hit the streets. The 40,000 people spanned every demographics... old, young, kids, teens, seniors, Gen Z, Gen X, Millennials, Boomers. Our Torrance crowd was predominantly white, which makes sense given both the racial makeup of the area as a whole, and the fact that people of color have been unfairly targeted by Trump's gestapo troops.
But not only was there no violence — and extremely few incidences of any counterprotesting — but the event itself had the vibe of a fun block party. Music playing. People dancing. Laughter. Smiles. Hugs. Conversations among friends, old and new. All I saw for the duration of the No Kings event in Torrance was positivity and enthusiasm. If you don't understand why that's important, nothing I can write here will help you.
I'll add that the constant din of car horns from people driving by and cheering was literally deafening at times. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see a single negative reaction the entire day on Torrance. Just waves and fists up and thumbs up and horns blaring. It was glorious.
Why Wasn't No Kings More Serious?
It was actually perfect exactly as it was. See, the authoritarian fascist only knows how to respond to violence. That's something they truly understand. Just look at January 6, 2021, when they had their failed coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol. So it's their expectation that all protests have that same mindset. Throwing bottles and bricks, setting fires, pushing, shoving, trampling. Destruction of property and injury to lives.
Guess what they don't understand? Joy. Positivity. Exuberance. And the one thing that really, truly hurts them is ridicule. Why do you think that people appearing in absolutely silly inflatable costumes has become an icon of this moment? Because when federal troops showed up in Portland, they wanted to show streets in chaos, filled with violent crime. Instead, they had to view a benevolent blow-up frog. And then try and pass off said frog as being threatening... and looking like utter fools in the process.
So when I was at the Torrance No Kings event and saw inflatable raccoons, unicorns, sharks, ponies, and dinosaurs. There were the usual chants and whatnot, as there should be. It's not meant to be a party. But the upbeat feel of people coming together across the whole country permeated the event. And that is what left the MAGA world feeling so deflated. Their entire narrative of No Kings protests being filled with violent thugs became a punch line.
What's Next?
A few things. First, I can't say it enough, make sure you Californians vote Yes on Proposition 50. You can return your ballot any time in the mail or via ballot drop boxes. If you need to vote in person, fine: the special election is on November 4. Don't miss it. This is crucial.
Second is that people are asking for more events like No Kings, and it's important to note that important local events happen all the time. If you want to become more aware of opportunities for social activism near you, check out the following...
- Indivisible
- 50501
- MoveOn
- Mobilize
- Our Revolution
- And many more... feel free to ask me in the comments!
Looking forward to seeing many No Kings folks at the next event, and the next elections, all the way through to 2028 and beyond!
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