My Take on Tampa’s No Kings Day Protest
On June?14, 2025, Tampa’s “No Kings Day” protest unfolded under blue skies outside City Hall. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people participated, joined by coordinated protests across Tampa Bay—ranging from Largo to St.?Petersburg—where similar crowds gathered (en.wikipedia.org).
Organizers led chants against authoritarianism, including “No Trump, No KKK, No Racist USA,” held behind traffic cones in front of City Hall on Kennedy Boulevard (wusf.org). The mood was upbeat. Signs were homemade. A drum circle powered intermittent beats. Drivers honked in support as they passed (tampabay.com).
Attendees spanned age groups and backgrounds. Sheldon Gregg, 66, stood near Largo’s demonstration wearing a United Steelworkers shirt. “It’s about our rights…I’m glad to see people come together,” he said (tampabay.com). Isaac Derboben added from downtown Tampa: “If nobody speaks about this…we’re just going to slowly corrode from the inside” (fox13news.com).
No arrests or major incidents were reported in Tampa. Rumors of violence swirling nationally, especially in LA, didn’t materialize here. Tampa police maintained a low?key presence. There were no flashbangs, no bike squadrons, just officers keeping watch.
Between 4 and 6 million people participated in No Kings protests nationwide (en.wikipedia.org). The ACLU and local civil?rights leaders praised the peaceful tone. WUSF photographers captured peaceful scenes along City Hall plaza, reinforcing messages of solidarity (wusf.org).
I felt deep hope seeing the crowd’s diversity. Teens marched with older adults. Every race, creed, type, and shape was present. That inclusive presence spoke louder than any chant about rights. It reminded me that this movement isn’t niche, it’s communal.
Pride rainbows, veteran caps, and signs in Spanish, Creole, and English were everywhere. Families with strollers marched side by side with retirees leaning on canes. It wasn’t just a protest, but an intergenerational chorus demanding democracy and fairness…Just saying “No” to the cruelty of the MAGA Republican policies.
The police held back respectfully. They stood in low-profile gear, and their posture was calm. That restraint let the crowd’s message shine without fear. Tampa’s force showed what respectful public safety can look like. This has been their MO each protest, and it has worked.
The only tense moment came when about a dozen MAGA?Trump supporters sauntered in, four of them filming. They waved “Keep America Great” flags and tried to push through. The crowd quickly formed a tight circle around them. Chants broke out: “Small dick energy!” It wasn’t violence but theatrical containment. The police quietly moved in and formed a line near them, making clear their intent to maintain the afternoon’s peace.
The MAGA group looked awkward and outnumbered in a sea of thousands. Given the number of them videotaping and the language of the person, apparently their leader, it was clear that the intent was to intimidate and antagonize. Obviously, they wanted to incite a confrontation, probably physical. Their swagger turned into shrugs as Tampa police stepped in gently, creating a line and shutting down their march. It must have been a rough morning for them to show up with a dozen merry men and cameras, only to be out-sized and out-chanted.
There was no physical confrontation. No tear gas or batons. No escalation. Just a moment of communal humor and deflation directed at self?important counter?protesters. The police presence ensured they didn’t go further.
Watching that, I saw proof: when people stand together, young and old, across every background, authoritarian theatrics shrink. It gave me hope. Tampa spoke with its numbers and its unity. And for me, that was worth the energy, bearing the heat, being there with them. In short, I think we had a lot more energy than the Birthday Parade in D.C.
Here are five minutes of video and photos that I captured during my time at the event:
