Joel EngelhardtSaturday’s rally was part of the ‘Hands Off’ demonstrations across the country.
Organizers of a north county protest Saturday against President Donald Trump had never before drawn more than 70 people to PGA Boulevard across from the Gardens Mall.
On Saturday morning, they drew thousands, with a line of protesters two to five deep for a quarter of a mile along the south side of PGA. So many packed the roadway that they spilled over to the other side of PGA, capturing all four corners across from the North County Courthouse at Campus Drive.
Befitting the north end’s snowbird-heavy, retiree population, many were seniors, some pushing — or resting against — walkers, in a sea of gray.
They showed their enthusiasm with chants, signs and colorful apparel.
“They protested the Vietnam War,” said one protester, herself a retiree. “They know how to protest.”
“This is what democracy looks like,” they chanted.
“Fight Truth Decay,” said one sign.
“No king since 1783,” said another.
For Gardens resident Joan Lev, 87, it was her first protest.
Why did she come?
“Chaos in the country,” she said. With threats to vaccines, health care and Social Security, “It’s very frightening to seniors.”
Organizers from Speaking Up for America/Indivisible, Pop up Protest South Florida and Palm Beach Indivisibles, along with the national group 50501, organized the “Hands Off!” day of protest nationwide, with other Palm Beach County rallies in Boca Raton and downtown West Palm Beach.
A steady din of horns from passing cars accompanied the rally. Protesters stuck to the sidewalks and encountered no counter protests and drew no police intervention.
Organizer Mark Beaumont of Jupiter said 1,000 people registered for the PGA Boulevard event because they were among the first local groups nationwide to post plans for the rally.
“We the people are pissed,” he said. “We don’t like what’s going on.”
Added organizer Susan Foley of Palm Beach Gardens, “Trump and (billionaire Elon) Musk have put these people in our laps. People are so angry, horrified, scared.”
Trump lost traditionally blue Palm Beach County by just 5,500 votes and north county is considered a Republican stronghold.
The rally broke up at noon and participants encountered one minor inconvenience unique to northern Palm Beach County.
As protesters departed on PGA toward Interstate 95, they found access to the highway blocked.
Trump was on his way back to Mar-a-Lago after golfing at his Jupiter club 2.5 miles north of the rally and troopers were clearing the highway for his motorcade.
The White House posted: “The President won his second round matchup of the Senior Club Championship today in Jupiter, FL, and advances to the Championship Round tomorrow.”
