This Riverside couple joined a ‘No Kings’ protest on their wedding day — and went viral

Among the crowd of thousands of protestors who marched last weekend against President Donald Trump and his administration’s hardline policies on immigration, were a couple dressed in full wedding attire.

Wearing a floor-length white gown and a white tux to match, Tiara Gonzalez and Eric Pena joined their first demonstration on Saturday, June 14 — just hours before they walked down the aisle to say “I do.”

The couple marched along Orange Avenue with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, waving a Mexican flag and handmade signs protesting Trump, while their wedding photographer, Jessica Diaz, quickly captured the scene — Gonzalez, all smiles in full hair and makeup, and Pena holding her veil and an anti-Trump sign, as the surrounding crowds cheered them on.

A TikTok video showing the couple protesting, shared by their wedding photographer, quickly went viral, with over 2 million views.

The couple, who live in the downtown area, decided to get married at the Riverside Art Museum because it was where they went on their first date nearly four years ago. They had locked in the venue for over a year — but when they first heard about the nationwide “No Kings” protests planned for their big day, they thought it was fate.

“The stars aligned for us to be able to support our Hispanic community,” Gonzalez, 32, said. “We would have been at this protest either way. It was just luck that it (the protests) landed the same weekend we were getting married in Downtown Riverside.”

The groom was “proud and happy to be walking with our people, representing our community.”

Pena, 30, attributed their going viral to the editing and photography skills of their wedding photographer, Jessica.

The newlyweds were happily surprised to see the social reaction to their big moment, saying they didn’t know about going viral until after their wedding night.

On TikTok, thousands of commenters praised the two for their activism. Some called it an “iconic moment” in history, while others said the video brought tears to their eyes.

“No Kings Day, but I do see a queen,” one said. “What a beautiful way to start your life together,” said another.

People also commented on their wedding website, signing the digital guest book with heartfelt congratulations and cheers; some even offering wedding and honeymoon fund donations.

Gonzalez said that she and her husband are both American citizens who are “proud to be Mexican, of our culture and where we come from.”

She became emotional while describing how “unfair” it is to hear about families being separated due to Trump’s mass deportation agenda and increasing immigration enforcement across Southern California.

“While it’s not something that directly affects us, it doesn’t have to for us to have empathy for the families and the pain they’re currently going through,” she said.

Of Saturday’s protests, Gonzalez added, “It was empowering to see so many people out protesting. We know how we felt about the injustice going on and how our democracy is at risk, so we felt very strongly about wanting to participate — there was no excuse not to step out.”

Pena, a lifelong Riverside resident, said that many immigrants being targeted “are coming here just trying to make a living, make money and provide for their families.”

Though some may have felt stressed over a major protest happening at the same time as their wedding, the couple were inspired to show up for their community.

The newlyweds said that joining the demonstrations was an extension of the cultural celebration. Many aspects of their wedding proudly displayed the couple’s Mexican heritage — including a bilingual ceremony, incorporating a rosary lasso tradition symbolizing their union, and even the Mexican catering at their reception, served on traditional “platos de barro.”

Pena said that some of the catering staff even joined the protests on their break and after the reception.

“My bridesmaid was making protest signs for us as we were getting ready to get married,” Gonzalez added.

Their first official act as a married couple? Advocating for immigrant rights, which they said was just as important as celebrating their love, faith and heritage.

“Being Hispanic is important to us as individuals and as a couple. It’s the language we speak, the food we eat, the music we listen to,” Gonzalez — now Pena — said. “We wanted to honor the sacrifices of people who came before us. We’re where we are today because of them. We don’t want to forget that.”