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Laguna Beach mayor praises peaceful ‘‘no kings’’ protest, disputes over crowd size noted
Summary
Mayor Alex Renaghi said the recent ‘‘no kings’’ demonstration in Laguna Beach was peaceful and a demonstration of First Amendment rights; the hosts also discussed a dispute over crowd-size estimates after an on-air estimate was corrected.
Mayor Alex Renaghi said a large "no kings" protest in Laguna Beach last week was peaceful and an example of citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. Renaghi told interviewer Tom Johnson that he was "impressed by the turnout" and by participants' signs and passion.
Renaghi said the demonstration produced no arrests and called peaceful protest "what this country is all about." He added that, from the city's perspective, safety and protecting speech are priorities. "Anytime that you can have successful use of the First Amendment is — that's what this country is all about," he said.
Johnson and Renaghi discussed the visual elements of the event, including costumes carried by some participants. Johnson acknowledged on air that he initially understated the crowd size in a column and apologized, saying he had estimated "hundreds" based on photos but that organizers later showed it was "thousands." "I apologize. I corrected it," Johnson said on the recording.
City officials and the host emphasized that, regardless of political views, peaceful protest and public safety are both priorities. The conversation did not include claims about arrests by local law enforcement beyond Renaghi's remarks that none occurred, and it did not report any formal filings, permit disputes or enforcement actions tied to the event.
