Thousands Protest Trump Policies in South Florida “No Kings” Rallies
Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of South Florida, from Mar-a-Lago to Miami, to condemn the policies of President Donald Trump on Saturday during a long planned “No Kings” protest.
the South Florida protesters were part of a nationwide rally of Trump opponents who are countering the presidentS orchestrated military parade Saturday to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary – and the president’s birthday – in Washington, D.C.
Protests in nearly 2,000 locations were scheduled across the country, from city blocks and small towns to courthouse steps and community parks, organizers said. No events were being held in Washington, D.C., where the military parade was taking place in the evening.
The 50501 Movement along with other groups, organized the across-the-country protests – the name stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
The group says it picked the “No Kings” name to support democracy and speak out against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump management. Protests earlier this year have targeted Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk who has left from his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency,or DOGE.
Protesters want Trump to be “dethroned” as they compare his actions to that of a king – and not a democratically elected president.
Trump on Thursday was asked about the protests, and told reporters, “I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.”
No Kings protest organizers said turnout exceeded expectations, “as millions come together to reject authoritarian overreach, defend democracy, and stand up for their communities.”
Florida was the site of about 70 demonstrations, according to organizers.
In Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, about 1,000 people gathered on the grounds of Florida’s old Capitol, where protesters chanted, “This is what community looks like,” and carried signs with messages like “one nation under distress” and “dissent is patriotic.”
Rally organizers explicitly told the crowd to avoid any conflicts with counter-protesters and to take care not to jaywalk or disrupt traffic.
In South Florida, WLRN dispatched reporters to various protests around the region and rounded up reports from the Associated Press and South Florida media outlets.
Palm Beach County
In West Palm Beach, thousands of anti-Trump protesters marched from the city to Trump’s large estate and club at Mar-a-lago. Trump is not at the resort but in Washington, D.C., for the military parade scheduled later in the day.
At the Meyer Ampitheater in West Palm Beach, Blanca Hernández arrived with her aunt Ana Escobar, both of whom are first-generation U.S. citizens born to Salvadoran immigrant parents.
They decided to join the protests to speak out against Trump’s aggressive deportation policies, telling The Palm Beach Post that their own relatives are living in fear.
Hernández said her mother has a work permit but doesn’t leave the house because she doesn’t want to risk being apprehended by federal immigration authorities.
Hernández and Escobar said another family member was waiting for a ride to work recently when he got detained and deported by agents from U.S. Customs and Enforcement.
“Immigrants built America,” Hernández told The Palm Beach Post.”We are employees. We make businesses.”
the keynote speaker at the Meyer Amphitheater was Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani and a figure in Trump’s first impeachment investigation. In 2022, he was convicted of fraud and campaign finance in federal court and has turned against Trump.
Parnas cooperated with a Congressional probe of Trump and his efforts to get Ukrainian leaders to investigate President Joe Biden’s son. He lives in Palm Beach County.
Broward County
In Fort Lauderdale Beach, protestors lined both sides of A1A for about half a mile north and south of Sunrise Boulevard fo…
