Thousands of protesters gathered across Houston on Saturday as part of the “No Kings” demonstrations opposing policies from the Trump era.
The grassroots group 50501 Movement organized the action as part of a plan to stage 50 protests in 50 states with a shared message.
Large crowds assembled in Pearland, Clearlake, Pasadena, Katy, La Porte and outside Houston City Hall. Demonstrators called for changes in immigration, healthcare, housing and public safety policies.
“We are all regular Americans. We love our country. We hate what we see happening to our country,” protester Marisa Mundey said during the rally.
Participants included elected officials, religious leaders, veterans, immigrants and LGBTQ+ community members. Speakers said the aim was to promote unity and call for policy changes rather than to attack individuals.
Paige Powell of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston said the group sought to spread a message of love and voiced concern that current policies do not reflect those values.
Houston City Councilmember Letitia Plummer, who joined as a voter, cited housing, flood mitigation and public safety as urgent issues. “People can’t even feed their families. They have no safe place to live. We are not backing down,” she said.
Protesters wrote messages with chalk and chanted songs and slogans, including “Some Country That We Used to Know” and “No Unity, No Peace.” Attendee Jessalyn Longoria said repeated demonstrations are needed to sustain awareness.
