Big Crowd Fills the Night with "Sound of Solidarity" at May Day Protest at Courthouse

In the latest display of growing popular resistance to the Trump Administration, more than 1,000 people rallied and marched on behalf of labor, immigrants, seniors, LGBTQ rights - and the rule of law

A spirited crowd of more than 1,000 people rallied at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse on Thursday night, then took to State Street to protest Trump policies on labor, immigration, LGBTQ rights, Social Security and the rule of law.

The May Day demonstration, which coincided with similar protests in cities across the nation, was the latest evidence of growing resistance to the extremist MAGA agenda, mirroring a steep decline in Trump’s standing in non-partisan polls.

Speakers at the Courthouse bashed the Administration for its extra-legal deportation program, assault on federal employees, crusade against diversity, reckless handling of safety net programs and defiance of court orders, among other matters, connecting and weaving the multitude of issues into a critique of Trump as a would-be autocrat.

Buellton Mayor David Silva led off the speeches, followed by Social Security Works PAC President Jon Bauman (who used his alter-ego-once-removed, Bowzer of ShaNaNa, to rouse the crowd). As a political matter, Bauman made one of the key arguments of the night, pointing out that Trump has recently backed down on his threats to close Social Security offices.

“Public pressure works,” Bauman said.

The star of the evening was Wendy Santamaria, recently elected representative of District 1 on the SB City Council. She electrified the crowd with a rousing speech and led them through a concatenation that ended with thunderous clapping:

“That is the sound of solidarity,” she said.

Images: Wendy Santamaria led the crowd in a solidarity exercise; Hundreds started arriving early at the Courthouse; The chilly night did not cool down the outrage of those gathered to protest Donald Trump. (photos and video by Hap Freund).