The No Kings protest in Port Charlotte brought out a large crowd along a busy roadway.
Many demonstrators showed up an hour before the scheduled start time of 9 a.m. Some brought signs saying "Dump Trump," and "No Fascism in America."
The line of protesters stretched nearly a mile on along U.S. 41 at Murdock Circle. Some passing drivers honked and gave thumbs up; others, thumbs down.
The demonstration was one of thousands in cities across the country.
Kathy Ross of Punta Gorda spoke of the feelings that brought her to this protest.
"Desperation, sadness, a feeling that our rights are being flushed down the toilet by Donald Trump," Ross said.
An 80-year old Charlotte County resident would give only his first name: Craig. He said he was afraid people would find his address and maybe come to his home to harass him, if his full name came out.
"Why are we so mean, so violent, so petty, so hateful?" he asked. "Why do we marginalize other American citizens? It is shameful."
About a dozen Trump supporters waved signs on the other side of 41. Ray Clark was one of them.
"They're all over the country doing this nonsense," Clark said. "It is nonsense. Dividing the nation."
As far as WGCU News was able to observe, the two sides of this political divide stayed apart. We saw no direct, face-to-face confrontations or other incidents.
Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
