A middle-aged man in a baseball cap, dark t-shirt, and shorts stands on the curb with his fist raised, holding a sign that reads "I Won't Bend the Knee." Other protesters are visible in the background.Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

My check from Antifa cleared so I headed on out to the No Kings rally.

My wife and I went to the St. Pete gathering last Saturday morning, held in the Tyrone area. It was my first-ever protest rally. Attending one had never been on my bucket list, but I’m glad I went.

We parked in the Tyrone Mall lot, where a woman asked me to zip up her green inflatable frog suit. I obliged, and asked her, “Are you Antifa?” She said no.

It occurred to me that irony might be a tough sell in this environment, but I was determined. We walked a short way to 66th Street, where people were lined up holding an eclectic array of signs. I didn’t see a single spelling error. 

Alexa … Change the President

Elderly Hippies Against Tyrannical Rule

Girls Just Wanna Have Fundamental Rights

No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land

Dump Trump

Symphonies of supportive car horns came in waves from the street. Two dump-truck drivers honked. So did a bus driver—but maybe he just wanted people to get out of the way.

I approached a few people and asked, “Are you Antifa? Do you know where I can sign up?” Most took a second to get the joke and chuckled. A few simply looked perplexed. I soon grew tired of my game.

The St. Pete No Kings rally had no staging area, no marching, very little in the way of call-and-response chants. I saw one woman with a megaphone, which must’ve been a Walmart model on sale. Her calls were faint, half-hearted, and generated no responses.

The crowd was heavy on Boomers, white Boomers, probably 90%. (Disclosure: I am of that demographic.) It was a little disheartening not to have more young folks and people of color in the crowd. Let me now insert a disheartening statistic: 

According to a very reputable and recent poll, 62% of Baby Boomers “strongly agree” that democracy is the best form of government. In the same poll, 27% of Gen Z “strongly agree.” Twenty-seven percent. If that doesn’t put a pang of worry into you about America becoming an authoritarian state, then I don’t know what will. 

So it was refreshing to run into Kristen, who was probably in her late-20s, clad in an all-red leotard. Her sign read “The Only Minority Destroying America is the Rich.” Her husband’s sign said “Good Luck Trying to Silence My Wife.” Strictly based on her appearance, Kristen looked more likely to be seen at a tennis club than at a No Kings rally. Good on her.

I carried a small sign—made by my wife, written by me: “I Won’t Bend the Knee.” (Hey, it was off the top of my head, the night before.) It went well with my “Gulf of Mexico, est. 1550” T-shirt. 

I left my water bottle and beach chair propped against a light pole and roamed around taking photos and videos. No one stole my stuff. A lot of American flags flapped in the breeze, which I found uplifting because it infuriates me that MAGA, and the right in general, have assumed ownership of the stars and stripes.

I was disappointed to see no counter-protesters—on the ground at least. Among the cars going by, I counted one middle finger, two thumbs down and a Trumped-out vehicle that slipped by into the parking lot (yes, it was a pickup truck). Was it too much to ask for a couple of MAGA-hatted boys exercising their 2nd Amendment right to open carry?

I also did not spot any TV trucks or other media, for which you can draw your own conclusions. Mine? At least in part it’s cowardice, fear of crackdowns by right-wing government. I’ll give a smidge of credit to the Tampa Bay Times for publishing a (half-hearted) article listing the nine No Kings protests in the Tampa Bay area. (Will there be followup coverage?)

For my protest-rally debut, I was part of an enthusiastic, well-mannered, not-angry, good-sized crowd of citizens who love—don’t hate—America. Mike Johnson’s branding of No Kings as a “hate America rally” is laughingly weak, although no doubt there’s a large contingent of the populace that swallows it whole. 

We stayed about an hour—and didn’t get clubbed or tear-gassed by National Guardsmen. But I did slip on a curb while walking and snapping pics and almost sprained my ankle. 

I never did find a sign-up sheet for the local Antifa chapter. Too bad. I was looking forward to hangin’ at the clubhouse, having a few beers and earning my official Antifa Black Bloc.

Two people dressed in full-body inflatable frog costumes stand on the sidewalk next to other protesters and traffic lights. A sign for a nearby shopping plaza listing Macy's and Dillard's is visible in the background.Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A man in a black hat and sandals sits in a mobility scooter on a sidewalk, holding a sign that reads "TRUMP'S VICTIM HOMELESS HUNGRY & BROKE." He is smiling, and other protesters are visible walking behind him on the street.Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A group of protesters holding signs and an American flag along the curb of a busy street. One man holds a sign above his head that reads "NO ONE IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND." Another person holds a sign reading "NO Human is illegal!"Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A long line of protesters standing on the grass and curb alongside a busy road, holding various signs with political and social messages. Signs visible include "NO KINGS" and "NOPE NO FKING WAY!!"**Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A crowd of diverse protesters gathered on a grassy median under palm trees, holding an American flag and various signs, including one in the foreground that reads "NO KINGS IN AMERICA" on a purple t-shirt.Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A young couple holding protest signs. The woman wears red leggings and a white top, holding a sign that reads "The only MINORITY Destroying AMERICA is the RICH." The man wears shorts and a t-shirt, holding a sign that reads "Good Luck trying to Silence My Wife!"Credit: Eric Snider / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky

This article appears in Oct. 16 – 22, 2025.

Related