Fil-Am Lakas Collective leads “Walang Hari sa America” protest in Historic Filipinotown

LOS ANGELES - Hundreds of Filipino-Americans and Angelenos gathered Saturday morning at the Unidad Park in Historic Filipinotown as part of the No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance uniting on the principles of democracy, civil rights and the rule of law.

From Unidad Park, the protesters marched and lined both sidewalks along Beverly Boulevard towards the Historic Filipinotown arch chanting slogans like, “No Kings,” “No Trump, No ICE, No KKK, No Fascist USA,” “Makibaka, Huwag Matakot, “ Abolish ICE, “No One is Illegal on Stolen LA,” “Palayain si Ligaya,” “Filipinos Ousted a Fascist Let’s do it Again, Diva? People Power?” as passing vehicles honked. 

The protest action, “Walang Hari sa America” or “There are no kings in America” is among the more than 2,000 rallies and protest actions across the United States and parts of Canada and New Zealand coordinated by Indivisible, a movement with a network of thousands of local groups and millions of activists across every state, Joe Arciaga of the Filipino-American Lakas Collective said.

Arciaga, who is an independent film producer and former board member of the FilAmARTS Council, said that the peaceful protest hosted by the collective highlighted safety at time when the situation in the city has escalated due to the unnecessary deployment of the National Guards and Marines by the Trump administration.

As a US army veteran of the Desert Storm, Arciaga told protesters,  “I will never swear allegiance or bend the knee to a wannabe king- because there are no kings in America,” and stand proud exercising First Amendment rights in the US Constitution he solemnly swore oath to uphold.

Lakas which is the Tagalog word for strength signifies “our strength when we unite together” as Filipinos “committed to advancing democracy, protecting civil rights, and upholding the rule of law as essential components of a just society,” according to Arciaga.

Organized in May 2025, the Fil-Am Lakas Collective’s mission statement acknowledges t “the values of bayanihan, solidarity, and self-determination, “ as it focuses on “building political awareness, strengthening collective capacity, and creating supportive spaces for mutual care and coordinated action.”

The collective whose membership are comprised mostly of artists and writers aims to “address systemic barriers and advocate for the rights and dignity of Filipino Americans and other marginalized communities.”

Arciaga is a registered nurse himself and one of the executive producers of “Nurse Unseen,” a documentary on the history and the plight of Filipino nurses in the US. His co-convenor is Charmaine Clamor, first Filipina-American to make it in the U.S. jazz and world music radio charts and known as the “Queen of Jazzipino” while practicing physical therapy.

Also present in the protest were Michele Josue, director/writer and executive producer of Nurse Unseen, photographer Jaana Esguerra Baker, members of Migrante Los Angeles, Pilipino Workers Center, Anakbayan-Los Angeles, Siklab Media Collective.