Anti-Trump ‘No Kings' rallies begin in South Florida in national day of protests
At Phipps Skate Park in West Palm Beach, just over a mile from the president's Palm Beach home of Mar-a-Lago, about 300 people gathered by 10 a.m., carrying signs and waving American flags. To the sound of a banging a drum, they cheered and chanted 'No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA' and carried signs that read 'SILENCE = COMPLIANCE ABOLISH ICE NOW,' 'and 'NO FAUX KING WAY.'
The robust early turnout came as a relief to one demonstrator, Peter Smith, 29, who had worried that people weren't speaking out enough as the country went down a 'dark path' toward fascism.
'Throwing a North Korea-style military parade in the U.S. is ridiculous,' he said. 'Mass deportations are ridiculous. Taking armed and armored ICE agents into schools, workplaces restaurants. It all looks like fascism and we need to do everything we can to stop it.'
Organized by a coalition of liberal groups under the 'No Kings' banner, an estimated 2,000 demonstrations are planned across the United States to coincide with Trump's birthday and the spectacle of a military parade through Washington, D.C.
Major demonstrations planned in South Florida include a march from Phipps Skate Park to Mar-a-Lago, a rally at Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach and a rally at Sunrise Boulevard on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Other demonstrations are planned in Coral Springs, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Miami, among other cities.
Anti-Trump protests will unfold across South Florida this weekend. Here's what to expect
At Phipps Skate Park, Paulina Parraga, a former American history teacher, said her main concern Saturday aside from immigration was Trump's disregard for due process.
'The fact that he really believes he's above the law,' she said. 'And fact that he has no respect for the Constitution.'
She brought her daughter in law, Tania Beltran, a recent immigrant from Colombia, and Tania's sister, Sara Beltran, who was visiting from Colombia. Before heading out Saturday, they wondered whether they should bring their passports, despite Beltran being a legal immigrant and Parraga, the daughter of Colombian immigrants, being a U.S. citizen.
'I'm an immigrant,' Tania Beltran said. 'Trump hates immigrants … Everyone knows the people — they are the more hard workers are the immigrants. They are the ones that do the jobs no one wants to do.'
As organizers gathered protesters at the park to prepare for the march to Mar-a-Lago, Ram Om, 67, waved a tattered American flag at cars on South Dixie Highway.
'That's the condition of our country right now,' he said, referring to the flag. 'It's getting beat up, it's getting torn apart, and there's no place but down in the trajectory that we're going right now.'
Shalon Bull, a Palm Beach County science teacher, attended with her two daughters to protest what she saw as Trump's attacks on science and education.
'There are reasonable, educated citizens that want a better tomorrow based on evidence, based on science, based on fairness and compassion for others, and democracy,' she said.
On the beach in Fort Lauderdale, about 80 people arrived early for a demonstration planned at Sunrise Boulevard and State Road A1A. Barricades lined the road separating the east sidewalk from the street. There was a cacophony of car horns in response to signs carried by demonstrators that read 'Honk to impeach.' Other signs read, 'Make Tacos Great Again,' No Kings Since 1776,' and 'The Real Criminal is in the White House.'
A boat parade to celebrate Trump's birthday will take place on the Intracoastal Waterway from Jupiter Inlet to Mar-a-Lago, an event that has been held annually.
Leaders of the demonstrations have promised the events would be peaceful. But Florida's Republican leaders, pointing to the violence that attended some of the pro-immigrant protests in Los Angeles, warned demonstrators that any violence would meet an aggressive response.
During an interview this week with a conservative podcast host, Gov. Ron DeSantis told motorists that if 'a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety. And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you. You don't have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets.'
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned in a news conference Thursday that any rioters would face arrest. At the same news conference, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey warned that violent protesters could face a lethal response from law enforcement.
'Throw a brick, a firebomb or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at,' he said. 'Because we will kill you graveyard dead. We're not going to play.'
South Florida police agencies remained on the alert with ramped-up street patrols.
Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman Casey Liening said in a prepared statement that the department was 'aware of multiple demonstrations' on Saturday.
'There will be a noticeable law enforcement presence and officers will be monitoring all events closely to ensure the safety of participants, motorists, and our residents,' Liening said. 'We urge participants to immediately report suspicious or nefarious activity. Safety will always be our top priority.'
West Palm Beach Police said in a statement Friday that residents should expect 'significant traffic delays in the downtown area on Saturday, June 14, due to planned demonstrations. The events are expected to draw large crowds, and several roadways may be impacted by heavier-than-normal traffic … The West Palm Beach Police Department supports everyone's right to peaceful assembly and is committed to ensuring the safety of all participants and members of the public. Please stay aware of your surroundings.'
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
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