21 hours ago
"No Kings" protesters pack State Road A1A in Fort Lauderdale to rally against Trump administration
Across the country, thousands of people took to the streets for the so-called "No Kings" protest, a movement expressing opposition to President Trump and moves happening in his current administration.
The demonstrations happened all over the U.S., including in South Florida, where people packed State Road A1A all Saturday morning in Fort Lauderdale.
Thousands crowd A1A to speak out against the Trump administration
CBS News Miami spoke with attendees about what motivated them to come out.
Des O'Donnell, a retired firefighter, told CBS News Miami that she came out because she's worried her benefits may get cut.
"I want to be able to make sure I have my Medicare and my Social Security," she said. "I'm retired and I'm thankful that I had this operation and everything done prior to this administration."
Tom Marten said he heard about online threats aimed at protesters, but said they didn't deter him.
"I could find anybody to come here with because they were afraid of what the other side was saying," he told CBS News Miami.
O'Donnell and Marten were among the thousands that filled the sidewalks along the strip, chanting, marching and holding up signs.
Organizers worked with police to ensure peaceful protests
Miriam Rodriguez helped put together Fort Lauderdale's "No Kings" protest and told CBS News Miami that she worked with police to ensure there's a visible police presence to prevent dustups or traffic disruptions.
"We gave them our plan," she said. "They helped us in developing our plan. In fact, our plan helped develop their plan."
Fort Lauderdale's event was one of 78 different events that happened in Florida. Organizers for this event say that they initially had about 2,000 people signed up, but by the time they got here, that number had more than doubled.
"I would say 5,000 people, if not more," said organizer Jennifer Jones. "People are really upset, and they're happy to come out and show they're peacefully protesting."
Fort Lauderdale Police have not announced any arrests. Police Chief Bill Schultz said violent behavior would not be tolerated.
Other protests pop up in Broward County
There were also protests in Coral Springs along West Sample Road and North University Drive. Kitty Pierce said she came from Seattle to visit her mom, but ended up protesting instead.
"I thought I'd bring my mom here, and it was very exciting," she said. "A great experience, and it shows that there's nothing to be afraid of."
