Hundreds of community members gathered Saturday at Mill Creek Park in Bakersfield for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide event promoting equality, justice, and civic participation.

The rally, held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., carried the message “Power belongs to the people.” 

The Bakersfield rally was a part of a nationwide “No Kings” movement that consisted of rallies all being held on Oct 18. The event was held in collaboration with several groups, including the Dolores Huerta Action Fund, Working Families Power, SEIU Local 521, ACLU SoCal, Democratic Women of Kern, and the Rapid Response Network of Kern.

Organizers said the peaceful event was to bring attention to the importance of community organizing and collective action.

Among the speakers was Robert S. Tafoya, a retired Kern County Superior Court judge who served on the bench from 2002 until his retirement in 2023. Tafoya told the crowd that he continues to take the oath he swore to defend the Constitution seriously.

“When I took the oath to become a lawyer and when I took the oath to become a judge, I made an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Tafoya said. “Even though I retired, I take that oath very seriously.”

Tafoya criticized the Kern County Board of Supervisors for voting in September to oppose Proposition 50, a statewide ballot measure related to how congressional district lines are drawn. 

He also criticized the Trump administration for policies he said undermined democratic norms and targeted vulnerable populations.

He asked residents to attend the board’s next meeting on Oct. 21 to express their views and to support the measure in the 2026 election.

“What we have today is an out-of-control president and a silent Congress,” Tafoya said. “We have to change the composition of Congress. Proposition 50 is about protecting fair elections and saving our democracy.”

Also addressing the crowd was David Torres, a Bakersfield attorney and retired U.S. Marine and Army officer who served nearly 40 years, retiring as a full colonel. Torres asked the crowd to defend ethics, humanity, and the rule of law.

“We gather not in despair, but in defiance,” Torres said. “No ruler stands above the law, and no man commands our conscience. The law is meant to be the shield of the weak, not the sword of the powerful.”

Torres called on attendees to stand up for immigrants, workers, and children, saying, “justice without compassion is no justice at all.”

Jeannie Parent, with Kern Welcoming and Extending Solidarity to Immigrants, focused her remarks on what she described as the inhumane treatment of immigrants detained at facilities such as the California City ICE Detention Center.

Parent mentioned reports of overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of medical care, especially for pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions.

“These facilities operate like maximum-security prisons,” Parent said. “Families are separated, people are lost in the system, and corporations are profiting from human suffering. This is not justice, it’s cruelty for profit.”

She called on the public to speak out and demand change. 

“We cannot look away,” Parent said. “Immigrants deserve dignity and due process.”

Other attendees shared their personal reasons for joining the rally.

“I have children, and the way the country is going has been extremely concerning,” said Monica Salazar of Bakersfield. “I just want to make sure that when history does write itself, I’m comfortable with the decisions I’ve made and the things I stood up for.”

Salazar said her family made protest signs earlier this year and brought them back out to continue expressing concern about the country’s leadership.

Tim Stonelake, another participant, said he joined the rally because he’s worried about the nation’s direction.

“I’m watching the destruction and deterioration of our government and social safety nets,” Stonelake said. “I see people having their civil rights trampled every day by this administration, and I just had to lend my voice. I don’t believe the United States should ever have a king.”

Rebecca, a local teacher who asked to use only her first name, said she attended because she has seen fear grow among her students in recent years.

“Some of my students have disappeared, and it’s been really frustrating,” she said. “Many of them are afraid of ICE and feel targeted. It’s heartbreaking to see that kind of fear in children.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Participants gather Oct. 18 at Mill Creek Park in Bakersfield for the “No Kings” rally, part of a nationwide event promoting equality, justice and civic participation.