No National Guard Troops at Hollywood, Florida 'No Kings' Protest

A quiet early fall morning in downtown Hollywood made way for a joyous celebration of democracy at ArtsPark at Young Circle on Saturday morning.

But hours before hundreds of protestors lined the west side of the Circle from Tyler Street to Harrison Street, City of Hollywood crews picked up debris deposited by Friday night revelers at local bars and restaurants on Hollywood Boulevard and Harrison Street.

At about 8:30 a.m., an hour and a half before the No Kings protest began, Timothy was busy cleaning up Harrison Street. He didnt know about the upcoming protest, but insisted, We shouldnt have a king here. Were a democracy.

Around the corner, at the Octopus Bar, which opens at 7 a.m., April, a bartender, was busy serving a small crowd eager to get a drink. The protestors are welcome to stop by later, she said, if they want to be happy.

An elderly gentleman, a former downtown bar owner, wasnt so inviting. Youre darn right I like Trump, he told me, a pipe in one hand. Send them over, he basically suggested; Ill give them a punch.

Car traffic was sparse as Octopus customers enjoyed their drinks, although it picked up considerably as the protest reached 11 a.m. Cars rounding the circle eventually set off honking horns one after another. Some people in the cars held cell phones out the window to document the event, while others displayed signs and American flags.

HPD Worked with Organizers

Lt. Charles Burrows, of the Hollywood Police Department, was busy conferring with a yellow-vested protest organizer before people packed Young Circle. Burrows acted as the Incident Commander for the protest. He told me, This group is very well organized, which makes our job much easier. Officers, Burrows said, are essentially there to protect the rights of protestors and keep any counter-demonstrators away from people who got a permit to voice their feelings about their government. Communication is important, he said, adding he also spoke with organizers in the run-up to the event. I counted six HPD SUVs stationed on the south side of Young Circle. I also found two more police SUVs parked at a high-rise building on Harrsion Street and 19 Avenue. Of course, other officers in SUVs were nearby, in the downtown bar and restaurant district.

The protest went off without violence; no National Guard troops or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents (ICE) were spotted. HPD and local organizers both honored our cherished right to speak freely and let government know what we think.

We Love This Country

Which is why Elvira came from Pembroke Pines to speak out against kings. A native of Peru, she became a U.S. citizen after moving here in mid-life. She worked for a decade at a Florida Winn-Dixie after loosing a corporate sales job in Peru. Elvira came with a Visa and already had family here which made it easier for her to become a citizen, she said.

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3  |  4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).