Letters to the Editor for April 3, 2026

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An exchange on the No Kings protest

To the Mayor:

Editor’s note: This letter was addressed to Mayor Ashcraft, with a copy sent to the Alameda Post. 

     I attended the protests in Alameda this past weekend and have to say I was appalled at the amount of hatred I witnessed. In a time when we want to unite and resolve our differences (peacefully), I saw nothing but signs that advertised hatred, and you, Mayor Ashcraft, stood on the steps of City Hall and condoned this behavior. Cheering on the hatred of Trump, further encouraging people to “resist” even though many of them didn’t know what they were resisting. I saw children as young as 3 or 4 years old carrying signs, which I’m sure they couldn’t read themselves, espousing hatred toward Trump. Clearly, their parents were indoctrinating them.

You, Mayor, should be ashamed of yourself for promoting such hatred. What are YOU doing to unite this city? It was clearly not said in your speech on the steps of City Hall. You were clearly supportive of this hatred. The only positive thing you said was encouraging people to go out and vote at every election. You should have added to write letters and get involved with the candidates they support to try to change (and understand) things, instead of gathering in public on a beautiful day displaying signs of hate. Many of these people couldn’t even define what a “king” is or what they “hate” about Trump. They reminded me of a bunch of lemmings—and you encouraged it! We are a diverse community and not all of us hate Trump. I’m sorry I voted for you. I’m sure I won’t receive a response to this email, since we do not share the same political viewpoints. And liberals typically do not respond to adversarial opinions. Please do something to reunite us, not further divide us and propagate this hate.

Sincerely,
Lenore Walker

Editor’s note: Below is the Mayor’s response, which she shared with the Alameda Post. 

Good Evening Ms. Walker,

Thank you for your email and sharing your perspective of the “No Kings” rally that took place in front of City Hall last Saturday. It is very different from what I observed and experienced, but one of my favorite tenets of law is, “Reasonable minds can differ.” Perhaps your motivation for attending the rally was different than the majority of those assembled. Incidentally, I didn’t use the term “resist” in my remarks, or mention the President’s name, but you are correct that I emphasized the importance of voting. And I was heartened to see hundreds of Alamedans of all ages coming together to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.

Best regards,

Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor, City of Alameda
510-747-4745

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Protesting and volunteering

To the Editor:

Some “No Kings” protests seemed likely to be more mediagenic than the March 28 event in Alameda ^[2]. But I’d already set the tone for my day by signing on with Live Oak Unitarian to prepare food for the homeless. That tone matches my sense of the mindset in Alameda writ large—call it determined niceness. So I made it a double-header in my genial hometown; in for a penny, in for a pound.

We gathered at noon at City Hall to register our objection to unhinged violence and kleptomania at home and abroad. Despite the grim context, the mood was festive. Mayor Ashcraft applauded the poetry and music enthusiastically, and when she spoke, she encouraged us to keep using our democratic rights to promote change. For example, by voting—mail-in ballots make it so easy, and you don’t need postage.

She was well received. One of the reasons she’s popular is the bike paths that have been extended across the island. She also has points in common with Zohran Mamdani. Both are Arab-American mayors, advocate human rights for Palestinians, and receive significant Jewish support. After she spoke, I asked her for her impression of the event. She said she was happy to see so many people protesting constructively.

I also talked to a man who wore an NRA hat and carried a big sign proclaiming “Sanctuary Cities Kill People.” He hadn’t come to make friends and told me that someone in the crowd had said they wished he was dead. Hmmm. He seemed relaxed in the company of those whom his Führer calls “radical left scum” (I object only to “scum”), and chatted amiably with me about how he sees the world (he claims that the NRA is the country’s oldest civil rights organization). We exchanged emails and agreed to enliven each other’s Facebook pages with some controversy.

A meal for the homeless was provided at the warming shelter run by Christ Episcopal Church on Santa Clara Avenue and Grand Street. For the five coldest months of the year they coordinate meals every day, and provide laundry and showers once a week. They have approximately 25 beds, and when those are filled the homeless are directed to shelters in Oakland. No one could tell me what happened to the clientele during the seven warmer months, or whether there was a well-beaten path to permanent housing.

Before serving, Unitarians received a round of applause from the clientele for our lavish spread. After serving, we filled our own plates and ate with the homeless. I joined a half-dozen guys, one wearing a Raiders cap. The table talk was about why that team was perennially awful, and the prevalence of brain injuries in the NFL. A transcript of the conversation wouldn’t show that the speakers deserve to be despised and ignored. Note to the resistance: they’re relatable; part of resistance is acknowledging that they’re part of us.

Matt Pico