Roughly 500 people showed up outside Freeman Coliseum Wednesday evening to protest President Donald Trump’s rally at the arena.
Trump was in the Alamo City to support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s running for U.S. Senate. This marked the Republican president’s third Texas stop in less than a month, following appearances in Houston and Dallas.
“I think they know they’re in trouble,” State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, told the Current. “We need to tell people the truth — and the truth is that everything bad that is happening right now is a direct result of Trump’s failed administration.”
Trump lost Bexar County in 2024, earning just 44.6% of the vote, making some protesters wonder why the president was in San Antonio in the first place.
“Somehow they think they’re going to ramp up the vote in San Antonio, one of the bluest [places] in Texas,” said Tricia Gronnevick, an organizer with the Bexar County Democratic Party. “So I’m not really understanding the logic, but if they want to keep wasting their time and money, I’m all for it.”
While protesters inside interrupted Trump multiple times, a crowd of protesters continued to build outside, many carrying signs calling out ICE and referring to the president as a pedophile.
A coalition of San Antonio activist groups organized the anti-Trump protest.
Initially planned as separate demonstrations by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Bexar County Democrats, the protests became a joint effort after organizers connected through a Signal chat, according to Gronnevick.
Viewpoints sometimes diverged, but the groups worked together seamlessly, passing the mic back and forth and leading call-and-response chants of ‘Chinga la migra’ over separate bullhorns.
Long viewed as a MAGA loyalist, Paxton has recently been caught on leaked recordings disparaging Trump, whose approval ratings have hit record lows. In leaked audio from private donor dinners over the past couple weeks, Paxton blamed Trump’s war in Iran and rising gas prices for harming his chances in November.
For his part, Trump has called Paxton ugly and poorly dressed.
Democratic organizers and politicians at the demonstration said they found it funny that Trump and Paxton shared the stage, given that both have disparaged each other, either privately or in the press.
“Honestly they’re a perfect fit for each other because they’re both criminals,” said Alex Svehla, organizer of 50501’s San Antonio chapter. “It’s very amusing to see them fight and insult each other all the time. They realize that they have to try to unite even though they don’t like each other, clearly.”
Photos by Jaime Monzon.
