Hundreds of demonstrators organized in Flagler County for the second occurrence this year of ‘No Kings Day’ on Saturday. The event, which happened concurrently across the United States, was designed as a protest against what participants see as an overreach of powers by President Donald Trump.
Photo courtesy of Brad West.
The accusation made by the event is laid out plainly in its name: participants believe that Trump is attempting to expand his power beyond that of a president and toward that of a king. Those opposed to Trump believe actions such as the deployment of the National Guard to major Democrat-run cities, the aggressive deportation of accused illegal immigrants, and the bringing of criminal charges against those who’ve opposed Trump to be the early signs of a tyrant.
Those protesting did so in defiance of Flagler County being a staunchly red area. According to the Supervisor of Elections Office there are 48,477 registered Republican voters as of Monday, good for 50.8% of active voters. That’s in comparison to 22,840 Democrats (24.0%) and 24,007 voters of other affiliation (25.2%). Flagler County voted for Trump with a 58.4% majority in 2016, increasing to 59.9% in 2020 and 63.6% in 2024. Prior to the 2016 race, the county had chosen the Democratic nominee in four out of the last six elections.
‘Democrats Suck’, says one counter-protestor on Saturday. ⓒ Flagler Gop on Facebook
Due to Flagler’s Republican majority, the protestors on Saturday were met with a number of counter-protestors supporting President Trump. Fortunately Flagler County tends to be much calmer about its national politics than its local politics, and so there was little threat of the opposing factions breaking the peace. Verbal sparring was about the extent of the venom on display between the competing sides.
The messaging on display by the No Kings demonstrators varied greatly. Some professed loyalty to the Constitution instead of Trump. Others referenced Trump’s yet-unrevealed ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted child sex trafficker. One man’s sign likened his activism to the military service of his father: “In WWII my Dad was Anti Fascist and Fought Proudly Against It! I am Proudly Anti Fascist Now!”, the sign said. In the phrase ‘Anti Fascist’, the man highlighted the letters that form ‘Antifa’, a political movement recently designated as a terrorist organization by Trump’s Department of Justice.
In addition to the hundreds who assembled in Flagler County, thousands gathered in Volusia County to join in the protests. Volusia, which is more populous than Flagler and only slightly less red, had major demonstrations at Daytona Beach City Hall, in downtown DeLand, and in other cities such as Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and Orange City.
They too were met with counter-protestors, with some reports indicating the hurling of slurs and hate speech between the two parties. Volusia’s events coincided with Biketoberfest, one of two annual gatherings of motorcyclists from across the nation to Daytona Beach and the surrounding area.
Photo courtesy of Brad West.
