It was a sunny Saturday morning at the quiet traffic circle outside the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara. Drivers slowed to take in the hand-painted signs — No Tyrants, Resist, Only You Can Prevent Fascist Liars. A few honked in support, one gave a thumbs-up. From the grassy median, a small crew of Mexican landscapers paused their work to cheer, echoing the chant that rippled across the plaza:

“¡No Kings! No Tyrants!”

Among the demonstrators stood Brigit Baur, a US citizen who has lived in Guadalajara for many years. She smiled as she waved her sign, but her voice grew serious and tears welled when she spoke of home.

“I’m kind of at a low point, actually,” she said quietly. “But I’m trying to put that away and come up with a happy answer. I’m really sad about what’s going on.”

For Baur, joining the No Tyrants Rally — one of dozens held around the world on October 18, 2025 — was a way to transform sadness, fear and outrage into action.

“I’m happy to see people that I don’t know here,” she added. “It’s nice to see new people who made their sign and came out here and are trying to communicate with the cars driving by … We’re still here, and we’re not going to go anywhere. I mean, we’re in Mexico, I understand that, but we’re not giving up on our country.”

Her handmade Smokey Bear–themed sign read, “Only You Can Prevent Fascist Liars.”

“Forest fires and fascist liars,” she said with a laugh. “That’s the idea…It kind of rhymes, right?”

Para leer este artículo en Español ir a “Seguimos Aquí”: Estadounidenses en México se Unen a la Protesta No Tyrants

A Global Cry for Democracy

Across the United States that day, millions marched under the banner No Kings, later echoed in No Tyrants, to denounce authoritarianism and demand democratic accountability. Crowd-sourced analyses by data journalist G. Elliott Morris estimated between 5 and 7 million participants nationwide, making it one of the largest protest days in recent U.S. history. Demonstrations were also documented in at least nine other countries, from London to Berlin to Barcelona — and, across Mexico, in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Ajijic, San Miguel de Allende, and Puerto Vallarta, coordinated through Democrats Abroad Mexico.

The Guadalajara rally, organized by the local chapter of Democrats Abroad, drew 40 to 50 people, according to the group’s own recap:

“Our rally today was a SUCCESS! 🎉 We had 40–50 amazing people show up — including familiar faces and some brand-new ones. The energy was high, the signs were bold, and the message was clear: No Tyrants Allowed. … We even had a surprise guest — a frog! 🐸 (Apparently they’re anti-tyranny too 😆).”

“Every Time It Gets Bigger and Bigger”

For Gaby Moreno, president of the Guadalajara chapter of Democrats Abroad, the growing turnout was cause for hope.

“This is the third time we’ve done a rally, and every time it gets bigger and bigger,” she said.

Moreno is gearing up for the local chapter’s get-out-the-vote campaign for U.S. citizens living in Mexico — a constituency larger than most Americans realize.

“One thing a lot of people don’t know,” she explained, “is that when you’re living abroad, every year you have to request your ballot. We start reminding people in January to request a ballot because some have earlier primaries than others. … If you do it in January — put it on your calendar, January 2 — you’re good.”

She emphasized that the upcoming 2026 midterms could prove pivotal.

“People think the midterms aren’t that important,” she said, “but that’s when all the unqualified people get in, because turnout is so low. People ask, ‘How did they get in?’ — that’s how. So please vote at every primary, especially midterms… If you don’t want to be ruled by psychos.”

Humor in the Face of Fear

Hovering above the crowd, a bright-green inflatable frog wobbled gently in the breeze, drawing laughter from passersby. Inside the costume was Suzanne Shelton, who said she was inspired by protesters in Portland who used humor to defuse confrontation. Inside the suit, however, she was earnest.

“I don’t like what’s happening in the United States, and this is one way to make my feelings public,” she said.

The frog quickly became the rally’s unofficial mascot, earning an enthusiastic mention in the Democrats Abroad Guadalajara Facebook recap and delighting onlookers.

Voices of Solidarity

Beyond the circle of protesters, the landscaping crew who had shouted their approval earlier had gone back to trimming shrubs in the median. Curious about that spontaneous moment of solidarity, I walked over. Luis Carlos Cepeda stepped away from his work and shared his thoughts.

“We see that these people are supporting the work that Mexican hands do,” said Luis Carlos Cepeda, one of the landscapers who had cheered from the traffic circle. He said he was proud to see the protest in Mexico, adding that “we Mexicans have never been known for being against Americans — quite the opposite… it’s a point of pride to see this happening here in Mexico, because what Donald Trump is doing isn’t right.”

“If You Can Watch What’s Going On …”

Nearby, Mike Sump, national membership chair for Democrats Abroad Mexico, was keeping tabs on voter outreach.

“I’m 72 years old and doing what I can to keep healthy,” he said with a grin. “And I’m a Democrat and I’ve been quite active. … There are about 11,000 Democrats Abroad members in Mexico, but there are four-and-a-half million American citizens living here. Really, we should be 20, 30, 40 thousand.

“If you can watch what’s going on in the States and not do something,” he added, “then you’re never going to do anything.”

Another longtime Guadalajara resident, Mike Keely, said he’s convinced that visibility itself is a form of pressure.

“There’s not much we can do except express our displeasure with the leadership of our country,” he said. “I believe firmly that if three or four percent of us are out there in the streets, the government will fall. … I don’t wish for that — well, actually, I do wish for that in this case, because I don’t know how else we’re going to get there.”

From Despair to Determination

As the morning wore on, the protesters posed for a group photo — Brigit Baur in the front, smiling now, the inflatable frog looming behind her like a comic guardian.

The small crowd outside the consulate lingered long after the appointed time, visiting and reconnecting. They had found something rare: a moment of collective resolve far from home, in the company of strangers who shared the same unease — and the same stubborn hope.

Democrats Abroad Guadalajara No Kings