Some members of the Filipino-American communities joined the “No Kings” demonstrations in the United States on Saturday in support of relatives and friends held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, according to reports.
The reports however did not identify which groups and how many Fil-Americans were involved in the rallies held to protest what they described as US President Donald Trump’s dictatorial overreach.
Among those arrested was a 64-year-old Filipino green card holder who was detained upon arrival in the United States in February, but has been released.
A 58-year-old Filipino-American woman with claim to United States citizenship was also arrested and detained by ICE,
Also arrested was a 55-year-old Filipino living illegally in California on charges including burglary and sexual assault with a foreign object, with a total prison sentence of 37 years.
Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Robert Ferrer Jr. reported that no Filipinos have been arrested in connection with the recent protests in Los Angeles.
Ferrer also advised Filipinos in the United States to refrain from participating in immigration-related demonstrations to avoid potential legal complications.
Demonstrators in Los Angeles came armed with their wit and pieces of cardboard: US protesters used “No Kings” parades on Saturday to mock US President Donald Trump with some inventive signs.
“Go to therapy Donald. Authoritarianism is not self-care,” read one placard in front of the federal building in Los Angeles, the focus of more than a week of protests over a Trump-ordered crackdown on immigration.
“Trump has a mugshot, my father does not,” said one sign, a reference to Trump’s 2023 arrest in Georgia that produced one of the most famous police photographs in the world.
One man in a suit stood in front of uniformed soldiers deployed by the president, wearing a big smile and carrying a sign that said: “You’re taking orders from a draft dodger.”
In New York, a protester held a board referencing Trump’s infamous election debate claims—widely debunked—that migrants were consuming people’s pets.
“They’re eating the checks. They’re eating the balances,” it said.
In Denver, a sign said: “Elect a clown, expect a circus,” while back in Los Angeles others picked up the theme: “No crown for the clown.”
In a city with a vibrant LGBTQ scene, there was no shortage of references to the community.
“Yaas queens! No kings,” said one sign.
Other slogans were very specific to the sprawling metropolis.
“In LA, only Kobe is King,” read one placard carried by a man wearing a Los Angeles Lakers kit, in homage to legendary guard Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
“The only ICE I want is in my matcha” and “ICE melts in California,” said others, taking aim at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers whose raids on workplaces and farms sparked anger.
Some signs referenced what they claimed was creeping “fascism” in the United States, with at least one photo of Trump doctored with a moustache to make him look like Adolf Hitler.
“Anne Frank wrote about this in her diary,” said one sign, a reference to the young Jewish girl who fled the Nazis and kept a journal of her life in hiding.
“America, you in danger girl,” said another.
Throughout the nation there were references to the United States’ birth as a republic, one that threw off the absolute power of the British monarchy almost 250 years ago.
But demonstrators said they did not get rid of one king to replace him with another.
“No faux-king way,” said one sign.
In tiny Nome, Alaska, home to fewer than 4,000 people, a small demo was one of thousands taking place across the country.
“The only king Alaskans want is king salmon,” said one demonstrator’s sign, according to pictures published on the website of the local Nome Nugget newspaper. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “’No Kings’ protesters bring their wit to US streets”
