'We're in a worse place': South Floridians rally again at 'No Kings' protest

MIAMI — Thousands of Floridians took to the streets Saturday for another day of “No Kings” rallies focused on peaceful protest against what organizers call “an authoritarian power grab” by President Donald Trump.

Bad Bunny songs blasted over loudspeakers to welcome Miami protesters to Bayfront Park Saturday morning. Crowds gathered along the roadway in Young Circle Park in Hollywood — where Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz made an appearance— as passing cars honked their support. And hundreds shouted over the surf in Ft. Lauderdale Beach.

The protests were filled with humor and inflatable animal costumes, as organizers encouraged attendees to focus on joy as much as fighting back against the Trump administration. They want us to be violent,” said Claudia Schultz, a 73-year-old protester at Hollywood’s Young Circle Park who wore an inflatable pig costume. “You can’t get any less violent than this.”

The events come four months after the first “No Kings” rallies in June, which were scheduled on the same day as Donald Trump’s birthday and a military parade for the Army’s 250th anniversary. This time around, organizers said there is no specific reason for the date. “We believe every date is a good date to stand up against authoritarianism,” the “No Kings” national media team told the Miami Herald.

But in South Florida, this weekend’s protests coincide with the president returning to Palm Beach for the first time since May for a $1 million-a-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. And the Miami rally also marched to the Freedom Tower and stopped at the adjacent parking lot to protest Trump’s planned high-rise presidential library.

Protesters concerned about health care, deportations under Trump

The crowds across South Florida included teachers, health care workers, veterans, Democratic officials and parents with their young kids, who told the Miami Herald a wide range of reasons they were concerned about the future of the country under Trump — and felt it was important to show their outrage in the streets.

“The last time I marched was in 1966 against the Vietnam War,” said Coast Guard veteran Ed, who declined to use his full name because his son works for the U.S. government. He was protesting in downtown Miami dressed in an Uncle Sam costume. “I think we’re in a worse place.”

Caitlin MacLaren, who brought her daughter to the protest in Miami, said, “We are concerned about the crumbling education system, reproductive rights being taken away, freedom of speech being taken away.”

Others came out in protest of Trump’s mass deportation policies. “Our neighbors are being disappeared,” said Luna Plaza, a student at the University of Miami.

And a spokesperson for SEIU Healthcare Florida Local 1991, Talia Adderly, attended the protests in Hollywood. She told the Miami Herald she’s concerned cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will fall “on the backs of our nurses, our doctors [and] our social workers.”

Little conflict at rallies, despite Proud Boys in Miami

A White House spokesperson said, “Who cares?” when asked about Florida’s protests. Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously chided the events, telling Florida drivers ahead of June’s protests that they won’t be at fault if they hit protesters if they feel threatened under Florida’s anti-riot law.

The governor’s office said in a statement Friday, “DeSantis has clearly stated his position on violence and disorder.” But there was little conflict Saturday.

Both national and local organizers of the “No Kings” protests have held safety training on how to “de-escalate if there are any outside antagonizers,” according to Cindy Lerner, one of the Miami “No Kings” organizers.

Enrique Tarrio again attended Miami’s “No Kings” protest – like he did in June – livestreaming his interactions with protestors on social media, as organizers repeatedly told the crowd not to engage with him.

The former leader of the Proud Boys was handed the longest sentence of anyone involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots — sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy for his role in organizing the attack, though he was not in D.C. in person.

He has since been pardoned by Donald Trump and lives in Miami.

“Walk away from the agitator,” organizers told the crowd using megaphones. “Please do not engage with any outside agitators.”

Legal observers from the ACLU in blue vests were present at the protest to “make sure everything is documented” and monitor interactions between protestors and law enforcement, said Josh Kaufman, an organizer from the ACLU who focuses on voting rights.

Local elected officials show their support

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said she came to the protest in Hollywood to support her constituents’ effort to fight back against the Trump administration, which she called “authoritarian” and “unconstitutional.”

Miami-Dade school board member Joe Geller and former U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia joined the protests in Miami. Whistleblower Alexander Vindman, a witness in Trump’s first impeachment who’s also reportedly eyeing a U.S. Senate run, took to the stage to address the crowd at Bayfront Park. Vindman said politicians backing Trump’s agenda “will be swept away — one by one — in every election to come.”

Former South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard told the Miami Herald he counted 4,010 people present midday at the Miami protest. He said that’s “a little better than the 3,600 I counted at the first No Kings event.” Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly who is now running for governor took the mic in Fort Lauderdale to address the crowd. “Folks, whatever your party registration today, thank you for being a part of change,” he said.

But the vast majority of attendees weren’t politicians or organizers. They were the teachers, health care workers, students and concerned Floridians — whether dressed as inflatable animals or holding protest signs — their common message was anti-Trump.

John Davis, 68, who protested in Fort Lauderdale, said he stayed up until 1 a.m. creating his standout prop for the protest — a striking assembly made from a paintbrush stick, a cardboard box, a mannequin head, and a scary Halloween mask topped with a crown. The figure wore a shirt Davis decorated himself, showcasing issues important to him, including calls to release the Epstein files and to highlight former President Trump’s history of sexual assault allegations.

“I love it,” Davis said of the protest. “I feel so much better coming out, because there’s more people that are like I am.”