Photo courtesy of Nico Allen
By Alisha Durosier
Among thousands across Florida who took to the streets in protest against the Trump administration’s policies on Oct. 18, University of South Florida St. Petersburg students joined Tampa Bay residents near Tyrone Boulevard to participate in the second nationwide “No Kings” protest.
Demonstrators gathered in the same area in June for the first national “No Kings” day, adding to one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history.
Hearing about the protest ahead of time, junior integrated PR & advertising major Angela Alor wanted to fulfill her desire to further advocate for her political beliefs and values.
The atmosphere was positive, Alor recalls.
Demonstrators lined the streets — some dressed in inflatable costumes — with signs and bubble machines, to a soundtrack of high-energy pop songs.
“It was just really refreshing to see,” she told The Crow’s Nest. “Especially after being told that anti-Trump [and] ICE protests are violent and that we are all rioting criminals.”
While protesting, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown was at the forefront of Alor’s mind. Coming from a family of immigrants, it’s an issue that hits close to home, she said.
“No one should feel comfortable to stay quiet about a cause because it isn’t likely to happen to them. If you feel ‘safe’ from what is happening, you should be advocating the hardest to make up for those who are the most likely to be in danger,” Alor said.
Senior history major Z Singeisen attended with that goal in mind.
“By showing up, I’m exercising my First Amendment right to speak up for those who may not be able to show up for their own safety,” Singeisen said.
As a history major, Singeisen said they are recognizing signs of a country descending into a totalitarian government, noting the current U.S. policies’ similarities to those of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.
They find “the way our country has slowly slipped into normalizing fascism” concerning.
Like Alor, Singeisen criticized the current administration’s immigration policies.
“Something else I was there for… is the unjust way the government has deployed ICE and [the] National Guard across the nation. The kidnapping of immigrants and citizens alike is unconstitutional and should be stopped immediately,” Singeisen said.
Junior interdisciplinary social sciences and criminology major Nico Allen also attended to protest against the administration’s treatment of immigrants, on top of several other issues.
“…defunding critical institutions that serve as pillars to our country, and LGBTQ+ policies preventing accessible care,” Allen said. “It seems that with the expansion on executive powers, the president continues to challenge the system of checks and balances —another reason why I showed up with a big colorful sign!”
For Allen, seeing the protest’s diverse turnout gave him hope.
“It reminded me that regardless of generational belief systems, there will always be people there to support and advocate for civil liberties and human rights,” he said.
Singeisen felt a similar feeling as they were leaving the protest.
“I had my windows down, blasting Bad Bunny music, honking my car horn, all in support of those still out there,” they said. “Seeing just the sheer mass of people that believe what is happening is wrong was truly emotional. It gave me hope.”
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Written by: Alisha Durosier on October 27, 2025.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara
