San Diego workers and students join nationwide walkout targeting Trump administration, with rallies planned across the county

Walkout set for Tuesday afternoon at multiple locations

San Diego is among the U.S. cities participating Tuesday, Jan. 20, in a coordinated walkout and demonstrations protesting the Trump administration. Organizers scheduled actions across San Diego County, including gatherings at Waterfront Park downtown as well as events in National City, El Cajon, Escondido and Encinitas.

Participants are expected to include students and educators from Lincoln High School, reflecting an effort to extend the action beyond traditional protest crowds and into schools and workplaces.

Organizers frame tactic as economic and civic pressure

The walkout is designed as a weekday action that encourages people to leave work or school and to reduce consumer spending for part of the day. Local organizer Lisa Doell described the strategy as an attempt to apply economic leverage by withholding purchases and labor, arguing that coordinated disruptions can draw attention to concerns about wealth concentration, governance and environmental policy.

Event listings for the San Diego action show a planned start time of 2 p.m. at Waterfront Park, with an afternoon schedule intended to maximize participation by people who may not attend weekend demonstrations.

Local immigration enforcement tensions form a key backdrop

The San Diego walkout follows weeks of heightened attention to federal immigration enforcement, including nationwide demonstrations after the Jan. 7 killing of Renée Nicole Good in Minneapolis during an ICE operation. The incident sparked protests in multiple cities and intensified scrutiny of federal use-of-force practices during immigration enforcement.

In San Diego, a Jan. 9 protest connected to those events was disrupted before it began when an organizer, Dan Shook-Castillo, was briefly detained by federal agents and later released. He said he was cited for parking in an unauthorized location near federal property.

San Diego has also seen repeated community disputes tied to ICE operations and arrests. Recent enforcement activity has targeted a range of residents, including individuals with pending immigration cases and people with lawful status, contributing to uncertainty within some neighborhoods and workplaces.

What’s planned in San Diego County

• Walkouts and rallies scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 20
• Multiple gathering sites, including Waterfront Park and locations in National City, El Cajon, Escondido and Encinitas
• Expected participation from Lincoln High School students and teachers

The action is structured around leaving work or school and limiting spending during the protest window, aiming to demonstrate economic and civic opposition through coordinated participation.

Organizers indicated the day’s events would continue to develop as participants arrive at separate locations across the county. Local officials had not announced any road closures or permitting details by early Tuesday afternoon, and it was not immediately clear how many people would participate at each site.