No Kings Day - October 18th in Los Angeles

I sent myself out on assignment to cover the downtown protests for No Kings Day in Los Angeles—part of the nationwide demonstrations against the Trump administration. I was relieved to see the absence of police in tactical gear, a complete 180 from the No Kings Day and anti-ICE protests earlier this year, when National Guard troops were deployed and officers lined buildings wearing helmets, body armor, and shields while holding tear gas launchers and pepper-ball guns at the ready.

This time, the only police presence I saw were those parked on the interstate on-ramps, making sure protesters stayed on city streets and off the freeways. Without police lining the streets in combat gear, the atmosphere felt far less tense—anyone looking to cause disruption had no obvious target.

There were costumes, music, and food vendors throughout the area. It was refreshing not to feel the same anxiety and tension that hung over earlier protests. Later that night, there were a few small incidents with police, but nothing on the scale of earlier this year and people dispersed much earlier.

Here are some of my favorite photographs from the afternoon’s coverage:

© Justin L. Stewart. All photographs and written content are protected under U.S. and international copyright law. Any unlicensed use, reproduction, distribution, or use in AI datasets will be considered infringement and subject to legal action.