Bay Area Neighbors Build Grassroots Resistance to Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook

Since Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025, a new kind of resistance has taken root in the Bay Area. Far from symbolic protests, neighbors are banding together in neighborhood-level action pods to directly confront the Trump administration’s authoritarian tactics. These groups are not just watching—they are actively shutting down enforcement operations and building public power block by block.

On a June morning in San Francisco’s South of Market, about 200 residents gathered to blockade a private security firm known to collaborate with ICE. The company had sent suspicious text messages summoning immigrant families to its office, sparking fears of a trap. Thanks to rapid mobilization by Bay Resistance—a coalition now encompassing nearly 200 neighborhood groups across six counties—those families were warned, legal help was offered, and the office never opened that day. “We basically shut it down,” said Sakura Saunders, a veteran activist and co-facilitator of one such pod in East Oakland.

These pods have grown from a handful of groups to thousands of active members. Organizers like Jane Martin from Bay Resistance emphasize that mass community vigilance makes it impossible for the administration to implement its harsh policies unchecked. “You can’t implement fascism when everyone comes out and watches,” Martin said.

The rise of these networks follows a painful year when federal forces outgunned local activists in Minneapolis, resulting in tragic deaths and high-profile agency dismissals. Yet organizers remain undeterred and increasingly optimistic. Jill Garvey, co-director of States at the Core, which trains frontline groups nationwide, says, “We can win this fight.”

This grassroots infrastructure is informed by labor organizing and sustained by in-person relationships, committed to nonviolence and local priorities. It stands as a direct counter to the Trump administration’s Project 2025 blueprint, which aims to dismantle federal agencies and consolidate authoritarian control.

The movement’s origin traces back to a November 2024 strategy meeting in Oakland, where hundreds resolved to move beyond despair to direct action. Activists like Saunders, with decades of experience, have helped build these pods into resilient community defense units.

As the Trump administration continues its assault on civil rights and democratic norms, these neighborhood resistance networks offer a powerful example of grassroots mobilization holding power to account. They prove that while authoritarian forces may have a playbook, so does the movement fighting back—and it’s growing stronger every day.