Thousands of people rallied across the Bay Area on Saturday, Oct. 17, for the fourth No Kings day of action, and this time the message was: vote early. San Francisco held one of the region's largest events, NBC Bay Area reported.
Why it matters: Organizers said they wanted turnout so large it would be hard for the Trump administration to claim fraud in the Nov. 3 midterms, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
What happened in the Bay Area
- San Francisco: Indivisible SF ran a "rolling block party" from Dolores Park through the Mission District, and marchers went down Market Street, the Chronicle reported.
- Ocean Beach: a human mural 500 feet wide spelled out "VOTE," according to the Chronicle.
- Oakland: volunteers pushed early voting in neighborhoods in the morning, and protesters gathered outside the Grand Lake Theatre.
Several San Francisco demonstrators dropped completed ballots in an official drop box after the rally, NBC Bay Area reported.
What people said
"Early voting matters in this political climate so much because you never know what is going to happen next," Adam Sheehan of Indivisible San Francisco told NBC Bay Area. He also noted "the ballot is pretty long."
Bonnie Richman of Oakland, holding a sign reading "Make Orwell Fiction Again" at the Grand Lake Theatre, told the Chronicle: "I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to interfere with any part of the process, anywhere along the line."
The other side
The national organizers said the events were nonpartisan and aimed at voter participation, though crowds carried many anti-Trump signs, NBC Bay Area reported.
Critics, including several Republicans, have previously called the rallies staged and misguided and said organizers should bring people together rather than stoke division, according to NBC Bay Area.
Voting info: see our Election 2026 guide.