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'No Kings' protests across Tampa Bay
FOX 13's Danielle Zulkosky talked with people on both sides of the discussion at Saturday's demonstration.
TAMPA - Thousands of protestors gathered in Tampa Bay on Saturday for a "No Kings Day" Protest.
Some cities that held protests included Tampa, St. Pete, Largo, Tyrone, Gulfport and Clearwater.
The primary objective of the protest was to highlight what national organizers call the "authoritarian leanings" of the Trump Administration.
What they're saying:
"I'm here today to support and defend the constitution and the oath that I took as a military police officer in the US Army," said Christina Juarez, a veteran against Trump.
There were thousands of people at the protest. They assembled on Kennedy Boulevard and then marched through downtown. It was a peaceful demonstration.
People also addressed additional grievances regarding the current state of the country.
"Today's protest is about oppression for all minorities," said Jared Dahan, Progressive Jewish Coalition.
"Taking away health care from seniors, children and veterans," said Cynthia Flores, a "No Kings" protester. "My husband's a veteran and I wouldn't want him to lose that because then I lose that."
"Back in the day, people in the street stopped Vietnam. Back in the day, people in the street got civil rights for individuals," said James Zambroski, a "No Kings" protester. "Now people in the street have to take democracy back."
"I'd had enough. The violation of the First Amendment for the reporters, such as yourself not being able to properly hold the government in check, was the straw that broke the camel's back for me," said Nicholas Shappell, No Kings Day Protester.
The other side:
There were about a half dozen Trump supporters at the protest.
"I want to encourage peaceful conversation, but a lot of times that doesn't happen. It's very hard to have debates here," said Adam Francisco, a Trump supporter. "A lot of people don't want to do that. So it is challenging, but I want them to know that some Mexican immigrants like myself who came here legally are Trump supporters."
There was another counter-protest earlier in the day, but it was in the water. Dozens of boats were seen sailing in the Gulf near Clearwater flying Trump flags.
PREVIOUS: Thousands attend 'No Kings' protests in several cities throughout Tampa Bay
The backstory:
"No Kings Day" is a day of defiance to reject authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of the country’s democracy, according to Indivisible.
The movement's website says that it is a nonprofit coalition of political action groups. They say that these protests are non-violent and that people should not bring weapons.
The first "No Kings Day" happened on June 14 as a response to President Donald Trump's 79th birthday and the U.S. Army's 250th birthday.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered through FOX 13 interviews and provided by organizers and previous FOX 13 reports.