Fact Check: "80,000 attended San Diego's 'No Kings' protest, the largest in city history."
What We Know
The "No Kings" protests occurred on June 14, 2025, as part of a nationwide demonstration against Donald Trump's policies during his second presidency. Organizers claimed that over five million people participated across more than 2,100 locations in the U.S. alone, with significant turnout reported in various cities, including San Diego (source-1).
In San Diego specifically, initial estimates from the San Diego Police Department reported around 60,000 attendees, which was later revised to approximately 69,000 based on more sophisticated crowd estimation methods used by organizers (source-2). Some reports even suggested numbers as high as 80,000, although these figures were not uniformly corroborated by independent sources (source-3).
Analysis
The claim that "80,000 attended San Diego's 'No Kings' protest" is partially true. While the San Diego Police Department noted that estimates varied, with some reaching up to 80,000, the more reliable estimates from organizers and independent observers suggested a figure closer to 69,000. The methodology used for estimating crowd size involved both aerial footage and ground-level video analysis, which lends credibility to their assessment (source-2).
Political analyst Carl Luna emphasized that this turnout was unprecedented for San Diego, making it the largest political protest in the city's history, surpassing previous significant events like the Women's March in 2017, which drew over 30,000 participants (source-2). However, the claim of 80,000 attendees appears to be an overestimate based on the more consistent figures reported by various sources.
The reliability of the sources varies. The San Diego Police Department's estimates were based on information provided by organizers, which can sometimes be inflated for political reasons. In contrast, the crowd estimation methods used by Take Action San Diego are more scientifically grounded, enhancing their credibility (source-2).
Conclusion
The claim that "80,000 attended San Diego's 'No Kings' protest" is Partially True. While there is evidence to suggest that the protest was indeed the largest in San Diego's history, the most reliable estimates place attendance closer to 69,000. The variation in reported figures highlights the challenges in accurately counting protest crowds, especially when relying on estimates from organizers.
