When a 34-year-old Lake Placid woman pulled up to the No Kings demonstration, she was stunned. She says her heart swelled with emotions.

“I’ve never really seen this in Highlands County so it’s just like wow," she said.

Yudy, who asked that only her first name identify her, is used to standing out as a young woman of color in the rural region. But until Saturday, she had no idea so many are fed up enough with U.S. current events to air their grievances in public in ruby-red Highlands County.

Yudy stood among many veterans and others twice her age to protest Donald Trump.
Her sign bore a quotation from the late John Lewis, a civil rights movement icon and who served three decades in the U.S. Congress: "Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

As Yudy and I spoke, local musician Dan Smith strolled the area an old 1960s protest-era song on his lips. "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man play a song for me in the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you."

Smith and Yudy were among nearly 600 people to line busy U.S. 27 and Sebring Parkway.
Few of the nearly 90 protests across Florida were held in the state’s heartland like Highlands County.

Highlands County has not had a Democrat get a majority of the vote since Harry S Truman in 1948.

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