The Sacramento protest against AB 2624, nicknamed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” brought conservative leaders, citizen journalists, and counterprotesters to the Capitol in a tense, closely watched demonstration over free speech and investigative reporting in California.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2624, officially titled “Privacy for immigration support services providers,” and opponents say it targets independent journalists who investigate nonprofits and immigrant-run businesses. Organizers called a Freedom of Speech rally to push back, arguing the law chills scrutiny and shields NGOs from public oversight. The scene at the Capitol reflected those high stakes, with loud, passionate crowds and several notable conservative figures in attendance.
Republican leaders and independent journalists were visible and vocal, arguing that the law masquerades as privacy protection while actually criminalizing routine reporting. Citizen journalists who focus on government accountability framed the bill as an assault on transparency. Supporters of the rally said their goal was to insist on public access to information about organizations that receive taxpayer dollars or otherwise influence public policy.
Carl DeMaio, Nick Shirley, Steve Hilton, Michael Gates, Pastor Jack Hibbs, and others helped draw a large crowd of conservatives and citizen reporters to the Capitol. Many attendees came to challenge what they view as selective legal protection for well-connected nonprofits. The turnout included a range of activists, from seasoned political figures to local volunteers who feel the law threatens routine watchdog work.
Citizen journalists like Amy Reichert and Katy Grimes were on site alongside ordinary Californians, and those groups largely dominated the gathering in numbers and visibility. The rally’s speakers stressed the need to preserve the ability to document and publish investigations into nonprofit operations and immigration-related services. Supporters repeatedly framed the bill as a partisan tool that could be used to silence uncomfortable reporting. Tensions rose as counterprotesters arrived, though they were smaller in number.
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Counterprotesters showed up to oppose the rally, and scuffles and heated confrontations played out in concentrated pockets around the Capitol grounds. Organizers and attendees reported confrontations that ranged from profanity-laced exchanges to more serious threats of physical escalation. Security concerns were palpable, and several participants claimed they were followed or singled out as they arrived or tried to leave. The atmosphere oscillated between organized protest and chaotic skirmish lines.
Now the state of California has passed California Assembly Bill 2624 (AB 2624), officially titled “Privacy for immigration support services providers.” That’s an Orwellian name that hides what the bill actually does: it criminalizes independent journalism.
On X, it’s known as the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” which isn’t exactly accurate. Jennifer Van Laar pointed out the legislation pre-dated Shirley’s reporting on welfare fraud in the state.
https://x.com/KATYSaccitizen/status/2092423408386818062
Van Laar has been instrumental in exposing Gov. Gavin Newsom, including his tax returns and other things, and she ended up leaving California over concerns of her safety.
“At the time, I told people, ‘Gavin Newsom’s court system will not protect me if I need to defend myself, AND, they might actively seek to imprison me for some BS ‘crime.’ Some friends and family scoffed at that. This video (in addition to the “Stop Nick Shirley Act”) shows my concerns were well-founded,” she wrote on X back in July (after Newsom said he’d jail anyone who tried to expose California election fraud).
So much for the “free state of California,” huh?
Police presence differed from past large protests; the California Highway Patrol and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department deployed visibly and intervened more decisively than some attendees expected. Organizers said that robust law enforcement helped prevent the kind of uncontrolled vandalism and violence seen in other demonstrations. Several accounts online claimed that activists intended to provoke fights and intimidate rallygoers, leading to arrests and a chaotic audio-visual record of the day’s clashes.
Some onlookers pointed to flags and symbols seen among counterprotest groups as evidence of outside coordination and fringe alliances. Observers noted a mix of emblems and rhetoric that muddled the narrative for bystanders trying to understand who was really on site and why. Rally attendees accused certain organizations of funding and organizing counterprotest efforts to shield particular nonprofits from scrutiny. The demonstration spotlighted how sharply divided Californians are on oversight versus privacy for advocacy groups.
The fascist are activated. Reminds me of our events in 2020 & 2021 where they were mad we were protesting so they decided to assault event goers and vandalize cars. Sacramento PD were told to stand down and only intervene for loss of life so we ( Freedom Angels) had to get our own security.
Several viral posts and videos circulated after the event showing clashes and detentions, and organizers used that footage to argue the law shores up political favoritism. Arrest reports and social media clips became the basis for heated claims back and forth about who instigated violence. Independent journalists at the scene captured exchanges that supporters say prove their point: that scrutiny into nonprofit operations provokes a partisan defense, not an open debate.
BREAKING: Far-left activist taken into custody after clashing with Nick Shirley supporters in Sacramento, CA.
The independent journalist is leading a freedom of speech rally at the Capitol building after Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” into law.
The bill would make it a crime to investigate immigrant run businesses and non-profits. @choeshow @TPUSA @nickshirleyy
Accusations that NGOs like CHIRLA helped shape the law and mobilize defense networks were common among speakers and attendees, who said financial and political influence has tightened legal protections for favored groups. Rally participants demanded clearer rules that preserve journalism and public accountability. As footage and statements continued to circulate, the dispute over AB 2624 is likely to keep the debate over free speech, oversight, and who gets protected at the center of California politics.
Reports from participants included claims of stalking, harassment, and coordinated attempts to intimidate advocates as they arrived or left the Capitol. Those allegations added a personal, safety-focused dimension to the legal fight over the bill. Protesters insisted they would continue to press the point that public-interest reporting deserves protection, even as legal and political battles over AB 2624 move forward.
Several clips and accounts suggested attacks and ambush-style tactics aimed at rally supporters, which organizers said underscored why they were there in the first place. The episode at the Capitol will likely be cited on both sides as proof the other side cannot be trusted to engage peacefully. For now, the law stands and the dispute over investigative reporting in California has moved into a new, more contentious phase.
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