Instead of barbecue tongs and chilled drinks, Gainesville residents traded parties for posters to protest the Trump administration Friday morning.
Around 100 people gathered at Depot Park on the Fourth of July, surrounding the roundabout in the early morning’s blaring sun. Some attendees set up foldable chairs in the shade, signs swaying in the air. Others carried Pride flags and American flags while waving at passing vehicles.
It was one of many nationwide demonstrations occurring on the holiday. Some, named “Free America,” were organized by Women’s March, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting feminism.
Gainesville’s protest, not directly linked to Women’s March demonstrations, was instead shared on the Flying Pig Parade’s Facebook page by Glenn Terry, the director of the organization that hosts an annual parade in Gainesville.
The protest was a union of Gainesville and Alachua County residents eager to exercise the freedoms July Fourth guarantees. However, some participants weren’t filled with the patriotic spirit the holiday often fosters.
Attendees of the “Kick Out the Clown Rally,” which began at 9 a.m., circled the roundabout with a papier-mâché caricature of President Donald Trump wearing clown makeup. Some mirrored the puppet’s attire by wearing bright red clown noses. The head acted as a beacon for the crowd as drumlines kept the chants on beat.
Police officers kept watch at a distance as drivers circling the roundabout honked their horns in support.
Sylvia McIntyre-Crook, a 58-year-old Gainesville resident and artist, held a poster half her height at the corner of one of the roundabout’s crosswalks. She said she learned about the protest through email and decided to express her anger about the current administration.
“I am part of America, ” McIntyre-Crook said. “We all are, including those who supported Trump. There’s room for all of us, but the cruelty that he is inflicting on half of the United States is just downright mean.”
While she has too many grievances to list on a poster, she said she wanted to gather with like-minded people who understood her frustration.
She still has a sense of patriotism, she said, but lacked the desire to celebrate after Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Act Thursday. The budget bill proposed cuts to programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid.
“I’m just upset with everything that’s going on,” she said.
Across the street, Kathy Kidder, an 84-year-old retired teacher, and her husband, Jerry Kidder, an 85-year-old retired scientist, waved at each car that drove by.
After living through the Civil Rights Movement, Kathy said watching constitutional rights get revoked and government aid cuts led her to stand at the corner of Depot Park.
“I woke up feeling terrible about the Fourth of July,” Kathy said. “Everything we learned in our lives is about democracy, and to see all of these things being taken away from us makes Independence Day a farce in some way.”
Jerry said he believes the Trump administration’s actions mirror the rise of fascism in Germany before World War II. Deporting immigrants, dividing the country and turning the police against citizens are “symptoms of fascism,” he said.
The protest encompasses the meaning of July Fourth, he added.
“We revolted against a king,” Jerry said. “We now have a president who thinks he’s a king.”
Kathleen Colverson, a 69-year-old retiree and Gainesville resident, rested in the shade with a friend as she watched attendees chant along to the drumline’s beat.
As a member of Gainesville Women for Democracy, originally called Gainesville Women for Harris, she’s a regular face at the city’s protests. She began protesting in the 1970s and attends every demonstration she can. The passing of the One Big Beautiful Act is especially frustrating, she said.
“What I’m seeing is a complete erosion of democracy in the United States,” Colverson said. “We are in the process of dehumanizing immigrants. I have no patience for that.”
She was terminated in February from the United States Agency for International Development, an agency offering humanitarian aid across the globe. Colverson worked as a gender scientist, helping farming systems understand women’s contributions to the agricultural industry.
“It’s tragic for me to watch all the work that occurred in USAID for decades just disappear,” she said. “What's happening now worldwide is all these people that have been so dependent on USAID, people are dying. This could have all been prevented.”
Promoting freedom of expression is just as patriotic as lighting fireworks, Colverson said, because democracy is built on free speech.
“Gainesville needs to keep standing up for what’s right,” she said. “I’m very proud of our local government. They are doing what they can do, but they’re constantly under attack.”
Chris Deutsch, a 69-year-old Alachua County resident, held her poster proudly with her eyes squinted. Despite prickling grass and pesky bugs, she stood unwaveringly even as the early morning humidity settled.
Deutsch has protested since 2016 and is a member of Gainesville Women for Democracy.
While she understands individuals may worry about publicly demonstrating, she said the organization’s work encourages more people to participate.
“There have been other coworkers that have come out since this past election,” Deutsch said. “The atrocities to our constitution have brought people who you would never expect out here.”
Deutsch said she didn’t hang an American flag for this year’s Fourth of July, a tradition of years past. She felt her concerns for her country were overlooked, she said.
“What is the bottom line with this?” she said. “People have to start thinking a little more critically about what’s the endgame for all of us.”
Mary Edwards, a 75-year-old retiree from Gainesville, raised her flag, not wanting the current administration to stop her from celebrating her American values, she said.
“We are the true Americans,” Edwards said. “We are the patriots who are paying attention.”
Doreen Ross, a 74-year-old retired University of Florida College of Education professor, stood beside her husband. Protected by sunglasses, she smiled as more people arrived ready to rally.
As a former educator, the loss of constitutional freedoms and the direction America is heading worries her, she said. She wants UF to protect its international and LGBTQ+ students instead of following the national agenda, she added.
“People are going to celebrate July Fourth,” Ross said. “There's going to be fireworks, there's going to be back backyard barbecues. I think that protesting and recognizing people whose rights are being abridged is an important part of that celebration.”
Contact Delia Rose Sauer at drosesauer@alligator.org. Follow her on X @_delia_rose_.
Delia Rose Sauer is a journalism senior and the Summer 2025 Editor-in-Chief. She reported on the university desk for two semesters. When she's not glued to her laptop, she's drawing on Procreate, crocheting or creating a new Spotify playlist.
