America was founded by those brave enough to stand up to the wrongs committed by their government — the founding fathers established ten inalienable rights based upon those beliefs. The first of those Amendments establishes “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Friday Jan. 30, 2026 — a nationwide strike was organized to protest the Trump administration and the killings by the Department of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The community of Livermore, Califorina joined the demonstration.
In the heart of downtown Livermore, on the intersection of First Street and Livermore Avenue — hundreds showed up. People of different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds.
Jane Morrison, a member of the Livermore Advocates for Public Education, said,“It gives me hope. It gives me hope for the future. These people are really engaged and enthusiastic. They know the issue, they can see it, and they’ve got a depth of knowledge that’s really impressive.”
Volunteers and members of the community self-policed the protest. Each corner had a crossing guard, keeping the crowd out of the streets and ensuring safety when crossing.
The crowd spread across all four corners of the intersection — signs held overhead — one reading, “HONK IF YOU ‘❤’ HAVING RIGHTS.” Cheers from those gathered and honks from cars driving through rang on for blocks. A commercial trunk blared its horn and was met with an equally thunderous uproar from the crowd.
Adding to the noise, Livermore resident Stefan Gilbert-O’Neill played the drums he brought, saying, “Many cultures have rhythms, and I enjoy playing all of them to celebrate all of our cultures coming here together.”
For three hours the crowd never fell silent. Livermore made its voice heard.
Ian Kapsalis is the Photo Editor and Production Manager for The Express. Follow him on Instagram @ian_kappy.