St. Petersburg, FL marches against Trump

St. Petersburg, FL – On Nov. 13, the recent wave of nationwide anti-Trump protests crashed the shores of downtown Saint Petersburg, when over 1000 people gathered at Demen’s Landing. The protesters marched to nearby Williams Park and back during Sunday evening’s mass-demonstration. Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)-St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Alliance for Positive Change cosponsored the protest.

Chants from the crowd such as “Stand up, fight back” and “The people united will never be defeated,” could be heard from blocks away as the protesters marched through the business-heavy portion of the city. This display of unity attracted both support and disapproval from local bystanders at nearby bars and restaurants.

A wide array of organizations such as the Tampa Anti-War Committee, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and SDS-St. Petersburg were represented at the rally. Overall, the groups in attendance maintained that the election-night win of Donald Trump brought a variety of different injustices to the table.

Heather Henry of the Tampa Anti-War committee said, “He is going to put more money towards the growth of our military and our police forces, furthering our militarized presence at home and abroad, leading to more violence.”

Jorge Pedroza from SDS-St. Petersburg maintained that there was still work to be done after this week’s mass protests, saying that “the struggle wasn’t won or lost on election night.” He explained that it was due time for the people to “raise class consciousness through active participation” and to “build a truly united front to fight back against the common enemy shared by the working class.”

A brief open-mic session followed and the event cosponsors closed by leading the chant, “Power in the streets, power to the people.”