WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida
Protesters gather in Ocala as part of "No Kings Day" nationwide opposition
By Sofia Dinka
June 14, 2025 at 4:45 PM EDT
Protesters gathered in downtown Ocala on Saturday for “No Kings Day.”
It was one of the many nationwide protests against perceived authoritarianism on the day of a military parade in Washington D.C.
The parade was meant to honor both the Army’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s birthday.
At Ocala’s Downtown Square, protesters packed both sides of a busy street, spanning multiple blocks.
About 1,000 demonstrators toted signs with catchphrases like, “If there’s money for a parade, there’s money for Medicaid.”
Sign-holding protesters congregate at a downtown Ocala street corner. (Sofia Dinka/WUFT News) (1980x1340, AR: 1.4776119402985075)
A few passing drivers honked in support.
Erika de la Cruz helped organize the event.
On the significance of No Kings Day’s message, she said, “I think it’s important to note that we’ve already won this war. In what was it? 1776. We’ve already won this war. By taking the power away from Congress or by taking away the ability of the legislative branch to make laws that they follow, it really does cause the executive branch to have a lot of overreach that they’re not supposed to have.”
Though no next protest has been scheduled yet, De la Cruz said details for the next protest will eventually be posted online.
A protester holds a sign on Saturday near the chain-link barrier at Ocala's Downtown Square. (Sofia Dinka/WUFT News) (2244x1470, AR: 1.526530612244898)
It was one of the many nationwide protests against perceived authoritarianism on the day of a military parade in Washington D.C.
The parade was meant to honor both the Army’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s birthday.
At Ocala’s Downtown Square, protesters packed both sides of a busy street, spanning multiple blocks.
About 1,000 demonstrators toted signs with catchphrases like, “If there’s money for a parade, there’s money for Medicaid.”
Sign-holding protesters congregate at a downtown Ocala street corner. (Sofia Dinka/WUFT News) (1980x1340, AR: 1.4776119402985075)
A few passing drivers honked in support.
Erika de la Cruz helped organize the event.
On the significance of No Kings Day’s message, she said, “I think it’s important to note that we’ve already won this war. In what was it? 1776. We’ve already won this war. By taking the power away from Congress or by taking away the ability of the legislative branch to make laws that they follow, it really does cause the executive branch to have a lot of overreach that they’re not supposed to have.”
Though no next protest has been scheduled yet, De la Cruz said details for the next protest will eventually be posted online.
A protester holds a sign on Saturday near the chain-link barrier at Ocala's Downtown Square. (Sofia Dinka/WUFT News) (2244x1470, AR: 1.526530612244898)