The streets of San Jose filled with the voices of protesters rallying against President Donald Trump’s administration, the recent war in Iran, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday afternoon. Protesters walked almost two miles, waving handmade signs and flags while chanting in unison.
International Women’s Day marked a call to action for many as multiple protests occurred throughout the Bay Area. At St. James Park in San Jose, a group of protesters joined together to fight against President Donald Trump’s administration. Organized by the San José Coalition Against Trump, a subdivision of the Community Service Organization San José (CSO), the activist group meets every third Sunday of the month.
“We’re here to march [for] the general successes, achievements, and the struggles that women across the world have historically fought [for] to make their gains realized,” CSO organizer Tim Phan said. “We are commemorating this day to let it be known that the struggle continues and it will never end until we have women’s liberation.”
The protest began with chants led by CSO organizers, including “The people united will never be defeated,” and “Sí, se puede,” followed by several speakers, including member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Megan Sweet. “We do not stand for Trump’s agenda. We do not stand for ICE being in our communities and kidnapping our neighbors, and we will not sit down and watch this happen. We’re going to take the streets [of San Jose], and we’re going to scream from the top of our lungs that we do not stand for this,” Sweet said.
The march began around 1:20 p.m., with protestors walking to the federal building in downtown San Jose until 2:40 p.m. The group was led by a banner reading “International Women’s Day” in bright orange letters and coordinating chants “ICE out,” “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA,” and “When women are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”
People of all ages arrived and held up signs either given by CSO or created themselves. Dee Conti, a community member, created multiple signs for the event. “The message is what James Talarico has said, which is, ‘Love thy neighbor,’” Conti said.
Conti is sitting with her handmade signs.
Kathy Earl, a resident of Campbell, emphasized a deep concern and frustration while connecting the Holocaust to the Trump administration. “We know about the Holocaust that happened in Nazi Germany. Right now, the Trump administration, through the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, is building warehouses to house human beings, detention centers. We cannot turn away and say we don’t know because it’s not in our neighborhood,” Earl said.
Earl stands with two handmade posters.
The march advocated for various issues, and most signs directly attacked Trump’s presidency, while others focused on specific causes. “Other people in our government aren’t pushing back on him. Other countries aren’t either, they’re just acquiescing to him and that’s never going to solve anything because you can’t reason with a tyrant and a dictator,” protester Katie Leal said.
For demonstrator Lowe, who didn’t share his last name, his anger was driven by the recent war with Iran. “We see the attacks on the immigration communities, but also with what’s going on with the wars being spread throughout Latin America and the Middle East. Right now is the time for us to get our communities organized so that we can actually defend ourselves. It’s time to fight back,” he said.
Protesters sign exposing the U.S.’s first strike in Iran.
“We belong here […] Families are being separated for no f*cking reason. Babies are being snatched up. A couple of my brothers were just kidnapped from their own homes, so yeah, this is all bullsh*t,” protester Ocelotl Alcaraz said.
Similar to Alcaraz, many protestors expressed rage while marching, which uplifted others to chant louder throughout the streets. As they walked by, people honked their cars and cheered in support.
Many have also taken action privately by informing their community of the recent news and going to all protests available to them. “I have to do something. So I write postcards to get people to register to vote and to make sure they vote. I stand on the overpasses holding signs about the war [and] I go to every march I’m able to,” demonstrator Charmon Ashby said. “I mean, it makes me want to cry. It’s just horrific what’s happening.”
Around 2:20 p.m., protesters made it down to the federal building, where Riju Krishna from the Association of Country Education spoke about the importance of protecting classrooms for families who are underrepresented and the hardships children will face without educational support.
“Today’s dollars for today’s children, today’s dollars for today’s school. Our schools are a safe haven. […] Schools are a safe place for our children, and that is why money needs to be invested in schools. When organizations, when school superintendents, when districts, when the city, when the state tells us there’s no money for schools, it’s not even appalling, it’s harmful,” Krishna said.
“When parents are forced to stay at home because their children don’t have a safe place to go, that’s when every single fabric of society and of our infrastructure gets impacted. So schools are not a separate unit that people can think of, let’s just disinvest in schools, school is the fundamental of any community, of every society,” she added.
“The parents of immigrants are the ones that are doing the foundation of work, and they need a safe place for their students to go. They’re the ones putting the food on our plates, they’re the ones doing the work for minimum wage,” a member of the Association of Country Education, Christina Moore, said.
Krishna speaking to the protesters in front of the federal building.
“Often, as a woman, we’ve been told you can’t, you can’t, you can’t, and can’t always means never. […] This can’t, cannot be never, because the time for justice is now. The time for justice is not tomorrow or day after, and that is why women, you are the fabric, you are the one string that binds the society. You are the Mother, you are the worker, you are the CEO, you are the police officer, you’re the teacher, you are the woman who binds it all,” Krishna said. “So let’s get together. Let’s stand together, because when we fight back, we are not fighting back against someone, we are fighting for our children. So we have to get together, and we have to stand together, and we have to stand up for our children, the future of this nation.”
The march ended at 2:44 p.m. back at St. James Park with fewer demonstrators than had started, as many left throughout.
Krishna’s final message for the community: “When they tried to bury us, they did not know we were seeds. We are seeds that can grow in a desert as well as with water. […] So yes, while today may feel frustrating, I am also confident and hopeful and resilient that we are seeds, you can bury us, but we will grow,” Krishna added.
The next event is scheduled for March 24th on the divestment resolution in San Jose.
