ORLANDO, Fla. – Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Orlando to call out the Trump Administration for its flood of executive orders, the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, and to demand action from Congress.
Orlando’s activists rallied outside of city hall Monday in conjunction with protests that happened across the country. The President’s Day protests were also called “No Kings on President’s Day” protests.
“We wanted to send a message that in a democracy, everything truly relies on the consent of the governed. A president is not supposed to be a king, but Donald Trump has other ideas,” said protester Corey Hill.
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Protesters are angry with the flurry of abrupt activity from the Trump Administration after being in office less than a month.
Those changes include taking down government websites, freezing funds, closing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion projects, and executive orders against undocumented immigrants and the transgender community.
The actions Elon Musk’s DOGE have also led to chaos, misinformation and confusion. Musk and staff have systematically gone into government agencies and accessed data in the Treasury Department and other agencies.
The Associated Press reports Musk is seeking access to taxpayer data from the IRS.
Thousands of government workers have also been laid off in agencies ranging from USAID to the national parks to the National Institutes of Health.
One Army veteran who spoke during the rally said he never thought he would be protesting against his government.
“Their agenda is no longer hidden, and it hasn’t been for quite some time,” he said. “If you do not take this threat of fascism seriously, then it will take you.”
Orlando’s “No Kings on President’s Day” protest was in conjunction with the 50501 President’s Day demonstrations, a political movement that called for 50 protests in the state capitals of all 50 states.
The Orlando rally was held for people who couldn’t make it to Tallahassee. The city estimates there were around 300 people in attendance.
The 50501 Movement is promising more rallies and calls to action in the coming months.
Liberal groups are organizing rallies at congressional offices and events over the next couple of weeks, hoping to convince lawmakers to do something about to stop the executive actions, and especially Musk’s DOGE.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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