ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — Thousands of people gathered in Escondido today for a "No Kings" rally, drawing protesters from across North County to share their stories and push back against national and local policies.
Among the crowd was Ron Willis, who walked alongside other protesters after his 96-year-old mother lost her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Willis said his mother has dementia, and the loss of benefits has dealt a significant hit to her household income.
"She's 96 with dementia. SNAP benefits are a huge part of her household income. Taking that away just crushes, frankly, everybody in her family who has to make that up," Willis said.
Willis said he was also at the Escondido City Council meeting in February. He joined dozens of others rallying against a contract between the Escondido Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security approved by the mayor and city council. The contract allows federal immigration agents to train at a city-owned firing range.
Willis said the rally serves as both a nationwide protest and a local pushback.
"That’s a huge concern. People are scared about are we going to have ICE, customs and border patrol, whoever, is Trump gonna to send out U.S. armed forces to patrol streets again. That’s I think a possible outcome. So yeah, people come out here to connect with others, to share the joy of the moments, and cement their conscious decision to fight back," Willis said.
Willis knows his family's story is not unique as people navigate the loss of assistance programs.
"Cut benefits to people across the entire country without any thought to impact, you know, it's crushing the state of California, but in my case it hurts my mom," Willis said.
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