June Hibino (with sign) leads a chant with (facing camera) Yasuko Sakamoto, Eugene Fujimoto and Kimi Maru.
On April 5, over 3 million took part in some 1,400 local demonstrations across the country to protest executive actions taken by President Trump and Elon Musk. Several gatherings took place throughout Southern California, including Torrance, Culver City, Pasadena, Glendale, Lakewood, Carson, Long Beach, Riverside and Santa Ana. In Downtown Los Angeles, the Nikkei Progressives contingent marched to oppose the Alien Enemies Act, the mass detention of immigrants, the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and the erasure from government websites of contributions made by people of color.
Pictured at the Torrance rally are (above, from left) Mark Masaoka, Wendy Lee, Akemi Matsumoto, Kathy Masaoka. Protesters, including 50 members of Matsumoto’s organization, Common Power, gathered in front of the Civic Center on Torrance Boulevard, carrying signs with such messages as “Democracy Over Oligarchy” and “Hate Will Not Make Us Great.”