Trump protests draw thousands in South Florida. ‘Can’t sit home any longer’
Fear and anger over President Donald Trump’s first turbulent months in office drove thousands in South Florida to the streets on Saturday during a national day of protest against what organizers called “the most brazen power grab in modern history.”
Large crowds gathered in downtown Miami and in Hollywood, where protesters hoped to channel the angst they are feeling into a different kind of energy.
“I can’t sit home any longer,” said Todd Katzman, 57, of Fort Lauderdale, as he looked across Young Circle at a crowd estimated by organizers at about 2,000. Many waved American flags and signs that said things like “deport fascists not families” and “resist.”
Similar messages — “Make America Think Again” and “You know it’s bad when other countries protest for OUR RIGHTS” — were displayed by around 1,000 people who gathered at the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami. Organizers led the group on a U-shaped march to Freedom Tower three blocks north then back to the torch, adjacent to Bayside, for more speeches.
One marcher, Brice Ciener, carried an American flag that was totally blacked out.
Explaining the message he was intending to convey, Ciener said, “There have been four or five reasons throughout history, but one has been rebel or resist against the current movement of your government.”
Ciener ran down a list of moves he opposed by the Trump administration over the last two and a half months: a massive imposition of tariffs that tanked the stock market as well; the roundup, treatment and housing of immigrants; and more. He also criticized inaction by Congress. “They’re the ones who supposedly control the purse,” he said.
The Little Havana homeowner worries about his kids being rounded up by ICE at the school near their home and being held somewhere without he or his wife being able to get to them.
“I picked my kids up from school and there were a group of ICE agents banging on doors in an apartment complex,” Ciener said. “No words. It’s mind-boggling.”
Kendall’s Alicia Pelaez said she never thought she’d see what’s happening in the United States, which she came to from Cuba at age 13 in Operation Pedro Pan. She empathizes in a very real way with immigrant children separated from their parents.
“I worked my whole life as a customs broker,” Pelaez said. “I know these tariffs will kill many businesses. The prices will go up – it’ll be incredible how much everybody will be paying for everything. Prime materials come from many places, not just the U.S. It will take a long time for what he says is going to happen. That’s an impossible dream.”
Kristen Kissoon of Miami Shores held a pink sign saying, “This is why we teach history,” which a passing history teacher appreciated and photographed.
“I feel like we have the same thing we’ve seen in the past happening again,” Kissoon said. “Like a dictatorship. It’s a blind following. We’re repeating history once again. We’re getting rid of all the things to protect people of color, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and we’re getting rid of it all.”
Saturday’s “Hands Off!” protests were among hundreds organized around the country by dozens of advocacy organizations, civil rights groups, labor unions and LGBTQ activists. The groups that put the demonstrations together said they were protesting Trump’s plans for Social Security and Medicare, federal budget cuts and layoffs, deportations, his economic policies and efforts to roll back protections for transgender people, among other reasons. They were also protesting billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who has spearheaded Trump’s efforts to quickly and drastically cut back federal agencies and spending.
A number of protesters carried signs about the stock market tanking and the high tariffs Trump has promised to impose on goods coming in from around the globe. They said they were afraid of cuts to Social Security. One couple said they’re thinking about leaving the country.
The president, meanwhile, spent Saturday in Palm Beach County golfing, after flying into Miami on Thursday to speak at his Doral Golf Club ahead of the start of the LIV golf tournament. Trump won his second round matchup of the Senior Club Championship in Jupiter, and advances to the Championship Round tomorrow, according to a reporter embedded with the president.
The White House has downplayed the protests., issuing a statement defended the administration’s actions as essential to the country’s financial future. “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
Overall, some 1,000 protests were planned Saturday around the country, with the largest expected to be in Washington D.C., where the administration, under the direction of the Musk-directed Department of Governmental Efficiency, has laid off thousands of federal workers. In just one recent cutback, the administration pulled the plug on a program that has helped tens of thousands of low-income Floridians keep the power and AC on, including during potentially dangerous extreme heat waves.
In Hollywood, protesters gathered at Young Circle before marching down Hollywood Boulevard. Several in a crowd that skewed older told the Miami Herald that they hadn’t been to a political protest in decades, if ever.
“The last time I did street protests I was in college,” said Susan Shechter, 70.
Karen Breslow, 83, of Aventura, carried a sign that said “I need to be able to tell my grandchildren I did not stay silent.”
“We are afraid,” she said. “Afraid of this country becoming only for the wealthy.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM.
