Have you ever been to a rally in Benicia?
By Roger Straw, October 18, 2026 (with many thanks to Mary DeShaw of ProBonoPhoto and Kathryn Lauritzen of PadmaVideo)
Benicia is a small town, and in my nearly 30 years here, I’ve shown up for plenty of public protests and rallies. But I must say, of all of them, my favorites have been the four No Kings rallies.
The feeling you get is incredible.
Much more than just the astonishingly huge crowd. It’s amazing when a town of 27,000 turns out 300 to 400 on short notice.
Much more than the creative and empowering signs. More than the bells and whistles. More than the passing cars honking support – at least half of the cars go by with horns and thumbs up and waving and words of love and thanks.
It’s more than that. It’s the connections you make…
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- Like holding signs next to a precious new senior friend who wears her Valkyrie purple, and chatting about your favorites like Gabby Williams.
- Like spotting the Mayor and several current City Council members holding up signs – and former Mayors and former City Council members, and a retired major newspaper editor.
- Like wandering down the line of protesters to chat with dear old friends and laughing at some of the wonderful protest signs and costumes….
It’s a festival, really. A festival of democracy as rich as any 4th of July parade. Or maybe richer.
He will not rule with absolute authority. He is no King. They will not abuse public trust. We will vote them all out.
Yes! No Kings in Benicia! No Kings in the USA, never!
Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent