Fact Check: Did thousands of San Franciscans flood Golden Gate Bridge during 'No Kings' protest?

CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO: Millions of Americans flooded the streets for the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations, protesting against the Donald Trump administration. A viral post showing thousands of protesters crowding San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge has been doing the rounds on social media.  

The images, allegedly from the massive anti-Trump demonstrations, have fueled debate about their authenticity.

While millions across the US participated in 'No Kings' rallies protesting President Donald Trump's administration, the dramatic scenes at the iconic San Francisco bridge have sparked questions: are they real or digitally manipulated?

Claim: Thousands of demonstrators flooded Golden Gate Bridge during 'No Kings' protest

A viral Facebook post shared by user Miles Allen on June 15 sparked online buzz after it featured an image showing a massive crowd, allegedly from the 2025 'No Kings' anti-Trump protest.

The post included a detailed caption claiming that thousands of demonstrators had packed the Golden Gate Bridge, prompting authorities to close it to vehicle traffic and allow only pedestrians.

The caption read, "NO KING. 6 /14 /25 The crowd was so dense that officials had to close the bridge and allow only pedestrians. The weight of the crowd caused the bridge’s suspension deck to flatten, eliminating the slight upward arch that normally characterizes the roadway. All 419,000 tons groaned and swayed in the wind. While the bridge was structurally sound and did not suffer any damage - David Attenborough."

Beyond Facebook, the same image was shared widely across other social media platforms.

On X (formerly Twitter), a user with the handle @dusterdog1 wrote, "Here's a photo of the No Kings crowd marching in San Francisco. So many people the Golden Gate Bridge was closed to traffic because the marchers covered the entire thing."

The reaction to the viral post was intense. One Facebook commenter wrote, "WOW!!!! How proud Americans must be today. To join in the largest peaceful protest in American history. And this while his pathetic attempt at strong man tactics made the military look like a clown show. He used to have more people at his rallies. The world is celebrating America standing up forcdemocracy."

Fact check: False, image showing massive crowd on Golden Gate Bridge is from 1987

According to Snopes, the viral post claiming to show a massive crowd on the Golden Gate Bridge during the 2025 "No Kings" protest is false. While the image is real, it was not taken in 2025. Reports confirm that the photo is from the 50th anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge, held in May 1987.

This highlights a common case of misinformation: the image is authentic, but the context has been misrepresented. Although millions have indeed participated in "No Kings" marches across the US, the specific image being circulated does not depict a 2025 protest.

Some social media users have since acknowledged the error and clarified that the image was miscaptioned. The original event in the photo was attended by an estimated 800,000 people celebrating the bridge's 50th anniversary in San Francisco.

The two most widely shared images are publicly accessible via Getty Images. Their official captions read, "A crowd of people walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for its 50th Anniversary, San Francisco, California, May 1987."

"Eight hundred thousand people crowded onto the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate its 50th anniversary. San Francisco, California, May 24, 1987," another caption read.

Finally, there are verified Getty Images of the actual "No Kings" protest in San Francisco on June 14, 2025, none of which match the viral Golden Gate Bridge images, confirming they are unrelated.