People in Northwest Florida — and in hundreds of communities across the country — will be mobilizing this weekend for “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump.
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The “No Kings Day of Defiance,” aimed at rejecting Trump’s "authoritarian" actions, is projected to draw millions of people across more than 1,500 cities nationwide. More than 70 such events have been registered in Florida cities, including Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach.
“We’d like to highlight what actually matters in this world and not just a person who wants to highlight their own agenda,” said Allison Ferreira, president of the Pensacola chapter of Women’s March Florida, which is organizing the “No Kings” protest rally to be held Saturday at Graffiti Bridge.
“From the get-go, even coming into this presidency, he said he just wants to take over,” she said, taking seriously Donald Trump’s musings about not leaving office this time. “He said it. He physically said that he believes that there should not be any more elections.”
“Christians, get out and vote, just this time, and you won’t have to do it anymore.” Trump urged on the campaign trail in 2024. “Four more years, you know what, it’ll be fixed; it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
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As recently as a couple of months ago, the President suggested he was looking at ways to serve a third term, which is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.
Additionally, Ferreira is concerned about Trump’s plan to overhaul federal elections nationwide with the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote or update voter registration.
“Making it so that women are just not gonna to be able to vote, unless they go through certain steps of getting new birth certificates, getting passports, getting (proof of) their old names,” she said, reflecting on the hardships the law would cause for many seeking to register or re-register to vote in future elections.
Specifically, the “No Kings” protests, organized by 50501, Women’s March Florida, and other groups, are targeting a large military parade to be held in Washington, D. C., this Saturday, June 14, in celebration of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. The day also happens to be Trump’s 79th birthday.
“Thundering tanks and breathtaking flyovers will roar through our capital city as nearly 7,000 soldiers march in historic uniforms from every major war since the Revolution,” began President Trump in a recently posted video inviting the public to attend the parade.
Join us in D.C. on Sat., June 14 for an unforgettable celebration of 250 years of the U.S. Army—the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 6, 2025
We're marking this historic milestone with a once-in-a-lifetime military parade. @America250
INFO ➡️ https://t.co/DtjW6NLdqJ pic.twitter.com/GBjRrq4pBG
The parade, the first of its kind in decades, is estimated to cost between $25 million and $45 million.
Alicia Trawick, co-organizer of the Graffiti Bridge demonstration, is opposed to such a costly event, considering the budget reductions and federal layoffs due to DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and other proposed cuts.
“Recently, we’ve heard on the news, Social Security is cutting. Medicaid is getting cut; food stamps, or SNAP, cut. You know all of these different programs are getting cut, because we need to be more conservative about our spending," she said of Trump's policies. "But then he throws a $45 million birthday party, so it’s hypocrisy at its finest that we’re seeing here. And, I think the American people are saying, ‘This isn’t right.’”
RELATED: Protests grow across the U.S. as people push against Trump's mass deportation policies
Trawick is also concerned about the President’s deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, with 2,000 additional guardsmen and 700 U.S. Marines authorized to help protect federal personnel and property during protests over federal immigration enforcement actions, including mass deportations and recent ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids.
“We’ve been watching for days now on the news in LA with the ICE protests that were originally peaceful, and now we might be seeing martial law coming into play in our lives in this country, and it’s very alarming.”
An emergency rally for immigrants has been planned for this Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Garden and Palafox streets.
On Saturday, the No Kings protests will take center stage. Locally, there will be an event, headlined by Gay Valimont, at the Fort Walton Beach Landing Park from 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
In Pensacola, there will be a ‘honk and wave’ event from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the corner of 9th Avenue and Airport Boulevard.
The main event in Pensacola will take place from 10 a.m. until noon at Graffiti Bridge on North 17th Ave.
“We’ll be there early, painting the bridge and setting up the comfort station,” said Ferreira, adding that they’ll also have water and light snacks for attendees.
The rally, much like their April “Hands Off” protest, is expected to draw close to 1,000 people and will feature speakers on various topics, including immigration, veterans' issues, and education.
In honor of Flag Day, participants are also encouraged to bring their flags, ones that make them feel most seen and respected.
“I will have my Army flag out there,” said Ferreira, a proud Army Veteran, personally concerned about cuts to the VA. “We will have an array of LGBTQ+ flags. We will have the American flag. We will have “Resist” flags...and we look forward to seeing what else other people bring.”
In making her pitch for attendance, Trawick reminds that Pensacola’s ‘No Kings’ protest against President Trump is part of a much bigger purpose.
“When you put us all together, we have power,” she said, pleased that more and more people are waking up to what she called Trump’s king-like behavior. “And it’s not just progressive people and Democrats anymore; it’s everybody starting to wake up and realize this is not what they voted for.”
