A few dozen individuals gathered in downtown Ocala on Saturday to protest the policies of President Donald J. Trump and his administration.
The Ocala Blue Dots and multiple other local Democrat organizations hosted the “Stop The Clown & End The Show” protest on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Historic Downtown Square (1 SE Broadway Street).
Approximately 40 individuals gathered in protest, according to organizers. In a statement posted to the Ocala Blue Dots Reddit page, organizers lamented the smaller turnout, suggesting more promotion and advertising will be done in the lead up to the coming protests.
The turnout represents a steep decline from attendance at the previous protest held on March 28, when hundreds of individuals lined the streets of downtown.
With Saturday in the books, the next national protest is planned for June 27. Local organizers, however, are working on another possible demonstration for the end of May. A date and time for that potential event has not yet been announced.
Saturday’s protest, which came a week after President Trump’s visit to The Villages, is one of several that have occurred since the president took office for his second term. Before March 28, previous demonstrations were held on January 17 and January 25, and multiple other protests were held last year.
In the days leading up to President Trump’s local visit, several vehicles that comprise the presidential motorcade were seen at the Ocala International Airport.
On the day of his visit, hundreds of protestors gathered in The Villages in opposition, and demonstrators posted signs over Interstate 75 in Ocala.
Did you attend Saturday’s protest? Share your photos and experiences in a comment below or write a letter to the editor.