WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — On this Presidents Day holiday, protests against the Trump administration’s early actions are being held across the country and reaching Winter Haven.
“I have a daughter-in-law that is an immigrant and she’s afraid to leave her house,” said Karen Welzel.
Protesters are denouncing everything from the president’s immigration crackdown to terminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and his rollback of transgender rights. Welzel believes equal rights are being stripped away.
“It’s very frightening. Among what they're doing to education, and what they’re doing to voter’s rights and to women's rights and all the DEI. I’ve been fighting for this ever since I could vote,” said Welzel.
The protests are a result of a movement that was organized online called the 50501 Movement, which stands for "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement." Organizers say they are protesting "the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration."
Some people say they agree with Trump’s executive orders. “I believe in a strong border. I'm pro-life, anti-abortion. Men are not women and women are not men, and they can't interchange that,” Kaitlin Bennett said.
There were several who waved signs condemning billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency and Project 2025.
“Are we going back to slavery? Are we going back to when women couldn't vote? Are we going back to the Tulsa era. Because none of those eras were great for people like me or people in the LGBTQ community,” Jasmine Felix said.
This marks the second nationwide protest by 50501 Movement, following the demonstrations held on Feb. 5.
"IT JUST CONTINUES TO GET WORSE EVERY DAY."
The Tarpon Springs home has been involved in a years-long code enforcement case, but the debris has only increased after Hurricane Helene and Milton, according to outraged neighbors.
