More than 1,000 attend peaceful 'No Kings' protest in Naples
A mixture of chants, honking and cheers filled the air as more than a thousand people participated in the No Kings rally outside of the Collier County Courthouse in Naples June 14.
The cluster armed with signs, flags and bullhorns spilled onto the sidewalks stretching from the intersection of U.S. 41 and Palm Drive to Airport Road South.
Attendees aired myriad grievances with President Donald Trump, who was celebrating his 79th birthday in Washington, D.C. Saturday evening with a $40 million military parade for the Army's 250th anniversary. Collier's was one of 2,000 such demonstrations natinwide.
The two-hour long protest remained peaceful despite a few middle fingers and derogatory remarks uttered from passing cars.
Collier County Sheriff's Office deputies were stationed at points throughout the crowd. Parts of the property such as the fountain near the courthouse steps and the sign near Airport and U.S. 41 were cordoned off to prevent protestors from climbing on them.
Dozens of volunteers helped the group remain safe throughout the duration of the rally. Many also brought packs of water to hand out to help manage the heat.
Things stayed calm, confirming what Indivisible cofounder Ezra Levin told USA Today earlier in the week: "I think we will see the largest peaceful single-day protests that this country has seen certainly since the first Trump term."
Levin is one of the organizers of the "No Kings" effort
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had said the state is ready to 'quell any violence,' telling Fox News that local law enforcement, the state highway patrol and the National Guard would be ready to stop any violence or 'unrest' at the statewide protests.
Holding a sign that said, "The only orange monarch I like is the butterfly," Naples resident Debbie Cahill had gone to the Fort Myers protest.
She said she wanted to represent "everybody that doesn't agree with what's happening now with our three-branch system being dominated by one (Trump)."
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 1,000 protesters in Naples gather for 'No Kings' demonstration
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
18 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
California Urges Appeals Court to Block Use of National Guard
California urged a federal appeals court to leave in place for now a lower court's order that would limit the Trump administration's use of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to respond to protests over the president's immigration raids. Allowing the administration to continue directing troops in the city, even temporarily, would 'escalate tensions and exacerbate the risk of violence,' lawyers for the state said in a court filing Sunday. They argued that the administration's actions were unlawful, and the deployment of the National Guard never should have happened without the approval of Governor Gavin Newsom.
New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
Nearly 1 million illegal immigrants have ‘self deported' under Trump, which has led to higher wages
While ICE arrests and deportations have grabbed headlines, President Trump is also running a separate but complementary 'mass deportation' program — one that encourages aliens here unlawfully to go home voluntarily. And if reports are correct, that plan is more successful than anyone could have imagined. Based on government data, my organization, the Center for Immigration Studies, has conservatively estimated there are about 15.4 million illegal aliens in the United States, an 50% increase over the four tumultuous years of the Biden administration. 3 Members of the Texas National Guard turn away migrants after they crawled through the concertina wire after crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border at the Rio Grande river on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. NYPJ That's no surprise, given how Biden and his Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ignored congressional detention mandates and ushered millions of illegal migrants into the United States. Trump rode a wave of concerns about the costs those migrants are imposing on schools, hospitals, housing, and essential government services in cities and towns across the United States to a second term. Now that he's back in the Oval Office, it's up to him, 'border czar' Tom Homan, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to drive the unauthorized population down and restore credibility to our immigration system. They've implemented a two-track plan to tackle this onerous task. One of those tracks relies on arrests and deportations of aliens unlawfully here, which at the outset has focused mainly on criminals (the 'worst first' strategy). 3 US President Donald Trump stands and salutes during the Army 250th Anniversary Parade from the Ellipse in Washington, DC on June 14, 2025. AFP via Getty Images The other track is more subtle but also cheaper for taxpayers and arguably much more effective —encouraging illegal migrants here to self-deport. It began with an Inauguration Day Trump directive requiring DHS to ensure all aliens present in the United States — legal and otherwise — have registered with the federal government, and to prosecute those who don't comply. By late February, Noem had implemented that registration program. DHS next launched a multi-million-dollar ad campaign warning migrants not to enter illegally or, alternatively, to leave voluntarily now and possibly 'have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American Dream.' Noem also rebranded the notorious CBP One app — which the Biden administration used to funnel hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants into our country — as 'CBP Home,' which aliens can use to 'notify the U.S. Government of their intent to depart'. That rebranding coincided with an offer of financial incentives for aliens who leave voluntarily, a stipend of $1,000. That's in lieu of costly physical deportation, which can cost taxpayers $17,100 per person on average. How effective has self-deportation been? 3 Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is sworn-in before the House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing on 'A Review of the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security' on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. AP One way to track the program is by checking employment numbers. One financial wiz cited by the Wall Street Journal calculated a decline in the immigrant population of 773,000 in the first four months of Trump II. The Washington Post claims 'a million foreign-born workers have exited the workforce since March.' The Post frames this as 'a sign of the weakening labor supply.' Yet the paper also notes, 'Average hourly wages accelerated, rising by 0.4 percent over the month, to $36.24 in May, as earnings continue to beat inflation in a boost to workers' spending power.' In other words, with fewer illegal immigrants, businesses had to raise wages to attract workers. But aliens will only leave if they believe Trump and Homan are serious about arrests, and employers know the feds are targeting shady businesses. This voluntary exodus shouldn't be surprising. When President Eisenhower launched his deportation round-up in 1954, nearly 10 aliens left voluntarily for each one arrested. A post-9/11 registration program also drove self-deportations. DHS can't arrest and deport 15.4 million illegal aliens, but if it simply enforces the law, many aliens will get the message and leave on their own — as hundreds of thousands apparently already have. Andrew Arthur is the fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.
Newsweek
23 minutes ago
- Newsweek
John Fetterman's Name Booed at Pennsylvania 'No Kings' Rally
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Senator John Fetterman was booed when his name was mentioned during a rally in his home state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. Newsweek reached out to Fetterman's office for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters Mediaite reported that the rally was part of the "No Kings" protest movement, one of many held nationwide on June 14. Demonstrations took place in hundreds of U.S. cities, according to Reuters, with large-scale gatherings reported in major hubs such as Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and New York. The demonstrations aligned with both the president's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary celebration in Washington D.C. What To Know In a clip from C-SPAN, Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the progressive nonprofit Indivisible, told the crowd in Philadelphia: "Now, this is not a rally for one party. We've got Democrats here today. We've got Republicans and independents here today. "We are looking to the leaders who will fight for us because even today, there are folks among the Democratic Party who think we should roll over and play dead. Anyone seen John Fetterman here today?" This remark was met with audible boos from the attendees. U.S. Senator John Fetterman on June 2, 2025, in Boston. U.S. Senator John Fetterman on June 2, 2025, in a Democrat, has voiced support for the military parade—which according to White House director of communications Steven Cheung was attended by some 250,000—in a Saturday post on X, formerly Twitter, writing that it was "appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service." The senator was criticized earlier this month in an opinion piece published by the editorial board of The Philadelphia Inquirer—Fetterman's home state newspaper—which accused him of neglecting his political duties. Fetterman has often broken with his party on key issues such as the Israel-Hamas war and border security. His views prompted speculation that he was leaving the Democratic Party to join the Republicans—rumors he dismissed earlier this year. During a January appearance on ABC's The View, he said he has "been on record" saying that "I am not going to become a Republican." He added: "I would make a pretty terrible Republican because, you know, pro-choice, pro really strong immigration, pro-LGBTQ… I don't think I'd be a good fit. So, I'm not going to change my party and if I am… I'll give you the exclusive." What People Are Saying Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman on X: "This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us. Regardless of your politics, it's appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service." What Happens Next Fetterman is up for reelection in 2028.
