Hundreds of people showed up and out at the “No Kings” protest June 14 at Cora P. Roberson Park, 600 SW Sixth St., in the heart of Gainesville.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life arrived at the park before the protest even began. One of them was 82-year-old Vietnam War veteran Charlie Trowback of Fort White.
“Sixty years ago I was on a submarine fighting for democracy, and now I’m walking the streets fighting for democracy,” said Trowbridge, sitting under a canopy at the park while holding a sign that read “We The People: No King” on one side, and “Healthcare Not Wealthcare” and “Can Trump Even Spell Constitution” on the other side.
Hundreds of protesters brought homemade signs to the protest, and many of them referred to President Donald Trump. A few signs had “86-47” written on them, a controversial term used by former FBI Director James Comey that was interpreted by some as a threat against Trump.
Wearing a red and white dress with the words “Liberty, Equality, Justice and Rights” printed vertically on the bottom, Betsy Williams of Gainesville said she was attending the protest as a volunteer with North Central Florida Indivisible, which is a chapter of a national organization founded after the 2016 presidential election won by Trump.
“We are very aware of our rights, and I’m very worried about militarism,” said Williams, who had an “Immigrants Belong” pendant pinned on her patriotic dress, which she said is the dress she wore to her wedding reception several years ago.
“The way the separation of powers is breaking down is very alarming,” she said. “If they can deport someone for not carrying a passport on the streets,” that means they can do anything to anyone, Williams said.
Pam Smith, a volunteer with Women for Democracy, said she was on hand to help promote the fight for democracy. She said Women for Democracy grew out of a group known as Women for Harris, and was born a day after the presidential election last fall when Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris lost to Trump.
“I think the people who are pro-democracy in the United States are more popular than the people who are not,” Smith said.
The Gainesville protesters joined “No Kings” protestors in more than 2,000 communities across the United States, including more than 80 that were registered to take place in Florida.
The protests coincided with Flag Day, President Trump’s 79th birthday and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration and military parade taking place in Washington, D.C.
“No Kings” was planned before the protests started in Los Angeles, organizers said, and it is “expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office — a mass, nationwide protest rejecting authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy,” according to nokings.org
Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson, a former Alachua County commissioner, was on hand to play keyboards for the band Weeds of Eden, which provided music for the protest.
Hutchinson participated in the protest, he said, because like the others crammed into the park, he believes in freedom.
“We truly believe in freedom of expression, and the way we do that is through our music,” Hutchinson said. “We think music brings people together more than any other thing.”
As the band played with Shana “Shana Banana” Smith on lead vocals, the crowd waited patiently to hear from speakers representing more than 20 community organizations from various segments of the community.
There were also hundreds of protesters holding and waving signs along Southwest Sixth and along Southwest Seventh Avenue from Sixth to just east of Main Street near Depot Park as hundreds of people were still making their way on foot to the protest well after the 9 a.m. start time.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: ‘I’m walking the streets fighting for democracy’: Gainesville joins ‘No Kings’ protests
Reporting by Cleveland Tinker, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
