Palm Coast demonstrators gather for 'No Kings' day protests
Hundreds of protestors gathered in Palm Coast on Saturday, June 14, for the "No Kings National Day of Defiance," hours before President Donald Trump was to oversee a parade celebrating the U.S. Army's 250th birthday.
No Kings protests took place at Old Kings Road and Palm Coast Parkway, and State Road 100 and Belle Terre Parkway.
At the S.R. 100 location, up to 300 protesters lined the highway in front of the Target shopping center. The demonstrators held signs with a variety of messages critical of Trump and his administration.
As the protesters yelled and waved, their signs included 'Stop the hate, dump Trump,' 'No kings, vets against Trump,' 'No Kings since 1776 Liberty & Justice for all,' 'No kings, no tyrants, silence = death to our Constitution,' 'Wake up fascism is here' 'This is not normal' and 'We the people will not submit. No kings.'
Many drivers honked their horns or waved as they drove by. Some also flipped off the throng of protesters.
A couple of Flagler County Sheriff's deputies on bicycles patrolled the area, but no incidents were reported. At one point, as the deputies rode along State Road 100, protestors thanked them for being there.
Paula Brobeck, who lives in Volusia County, was holding a sign that read in multi-colored letters: 'Grantifa grandmas against fascism.'
'I have two granddaughters, 17 and 20, and I do not want them to inherit a country that's fascist, not independent, not democratic. This is what we are. This is what we stand for,' Brobeck said.
Annette Franke of Palm Coast was holding a sign that read 'Sick-O-Phants,' with photos of Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
'Our democracy is at risk. We are seeing fascist behavior with our government,' Franke said.
She was heartened by the turnout.
'It's wonderful and it's refreshing and I hope that we are beginning to turn a tide with persuading the Trump voters who put him in office to wake up and see what's going on,' Franke said.
When asked if she had a birthday wish for Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, she referred to the military parade in Washington, D.C. that was scheduled to take place later that evening.
'I wish he wasn't celebrating his birthday with a multi-million dollar parade on taxpayers' back, too,' Franke said.
Another woman, who identified herself as Patti, said she was protesting a variety of issues, including raids by ICE.
'All the ICE raids right now, it's disgusting. People are here and they are separating families. And that's disgusting,' Patti said.
Amy Long of Palm Coast was holding a sign with a drawing of Smokey Bear which read 'Only you can prevent fascist liars.' Instead of 'Smokey,' the bear's hat read 'Resist.'
'This is incredible,' Long said of the turnout. 'This is great. Here in Flagler County we have a large Republican presence, so to see this many people turn out, it's incredible,' Long said.
She said although she owns a Tesla — Elon Musk's automotive brand — she added a disclaimer.
'I drive a Tesla and so I had to get a sticker immediately that signified 'Hey, I got this before we knew Elon went that way,' very disappointing to see. Everything is for a minority of billionaires,' Long said.
Sarah Melvin said she has been protesting Trump since his first administration. She brought along her dog, Lucius. Melvin wore a beret that resembled a taco. Her dog wore a matching taco-like outfit.
The phrase "TACO" — Trump Always Chickens Out — was made by Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong to describe what he says is the president's pattern of announcing heavy tariffs then backing away.
Melvin was holding a sign that read: "Give us (the finger) if you (heart) fascism.'
'I wanted to give a little something to all the people that flip us off," Melvin said, "because we are actually out here fighting for their rights, too."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast 'No Kings' protests count hundreds of demonstrators
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