People march in Monterey to protest Trump's inauguration.

About 200 people gathered on Saturday, Jan. 18 in the Window on the Bay Park in Monterey for the People’s March, a 2025 version of the Women’s March of 2017.

The weather was great, the moods were elevated. Many passing cars took part, honking enthusiastically, cheering for the row of sign-carrying people along Del Monte Avenue. The placards spoke for: power to the people, homes for all, women’s rights, peace, racial and economic justice, and everything that fits under the umbrella of progressive politics, including “Not my president.” 

Eryne Aobares is a young mother from King City who took along her 5-year-old son.

“I know he is very young but I want to educate him,” she says. “I want him to grow up to be an empathetic individual. What I'm fighting for is his future.”

They both carry placards: “Injustice and oppression will never prevail” and “Resist! Persist! Insist!”

Kelly Green from Monterey was likely the most visible person at the event. She stood alone in the grass in a rainbow outfit.

“I protest every day," Green says. “I refuse to spend money on corporations. I used to work in semiconductor manufacturing in the electrical field. I refuse to work in this field again. I prefer to be homeless than pay money to the landlord.”

Among the groups present were the Peace Coalition of Monterey County, Veterans for Peace and Indivisible, which encouraged people to highlight issues including climate action, economic justice, healthcare, democracy reform, racial justice and LGBTQ rights. Some women wore pink "pussy" hats, a symbol of the Women's March that took place in early 2017.