19 hours ago
Thousands gather for peaceful, high-energy No Kings protest in Fort Myers
More than 2,000 Fort Myers protesters spent their sunny Flag Day morning making it clear they don't want a monarchy. Or an autocracy. Or a plutocracy.
The demonstration's name was 'No Kings,' but 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.
Former long-time Republican Larry Scrabis held a sign June 14, 2025, saying 'There is no K in the constitution.' The Fort Myers resident said it's time for people to realize 'We don't live in an autocracy. We live in a democracy.'
The number of planned events is nearly double that of the April 5 "Hands Off" protest that saw millions of Americans turn out in big and small cities nationwide.
The crowd reflected the region's demographics, with some using walkers and other pushing baby strollers. Holding a poster-board sign that read 'We the people serve no kings!' USA-born Ozzie Caballero, 23, a Cypress Lake High graduate was there to honor his parents, who fought to immigrate from Honduras.
The vibe was upbeat and 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."
He is one of the organizers of the "No Kings" effort.
One of some 2,000 such events nationwide, Lee County's "national day of peaceful protest" lived up to its name, with Lee County Sheriff's Office involvement limited to helping EMS with overheated or otherwise ill attendees, said a dispatch supervisor who only identified herself by her first name, Kallie.
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.
Signs included 'Dump Trump,' 'FMPD + ICE =ACAB,' 'Jesus said LOVE your neighbor, not deport them,' and 'Trump couldn't find Honduras on a map.'
Standing with a group that included people from LaBelle and Immokalee, Rick Burnette said he'd come from a sense of 'deep, deep concern and love for our country.' His sign protested kings, tyrants, a militarized society, white supremacy and Christian nationalism.
Holding a sign that said, "The only orange monarch I like is the butterfly," Naples resident Debbie Cahill 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)."
Artists Lucas Century and Mary Voytek were there out of "deep concern" over human rights, Voytek said. "I just got back from Spain and they talked about similar situations. It is a recipe, it's a process, and it's started here," she said. She found it heartening that in "our little town of Fort Myers Florida" that so many protesters would turn out.
Rachel Bass of North Fort Myers said 'A couple month ago, Fort Myers Police Department signed on to help ICE.' That makes her angry, she said. 'They're here to protect the community. Whether you like it or not, undocumented people are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers. So, the fact the police are weaponized against them is turning the police on its people."
Instead of signs, Mike and Eileen McHenry from Cape Coral held American flags. They'd come "to protect democracy," said Mike, an Air Force vet, as Eileen nodded.
'Using the military for politics? He could never do anything political,' Eileen said, gesturing to her husband, 'because it was just against the rules, but this president doesn't follow any rules whatsoever … Fascism isn't coming. It's here."
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: A few salty signs, but Fort Myers 'No Kings' protest stays peaceful
