PORT ORANGE — With protests against President Donald Trump’s administration taking place nationwide on Presidents Day, Volusia and Flagler groups opposed to the government’s agenda also took to the streets.
Protesters in Port Orange, DeLand and Palm Coast brought signs, flags and their enthusiasm to voice concerns over several topics, including immigration, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, the firing of federal workers and more.
A grassroots group called the 50501 Movement was behind most of the Monday rallies, which are part of what it describes as “National Day of Protest,” or “Not My President’s Day” protests.
“We witness, with growing alarm, how our constitutional rights are trampled upon, how the authority of the President is being usurped by those who seek to consolidate power for personal gain,” the group said in a statement on its website. “Meanwhile, President Trump systematically dismantles the very guardrails designed to ensure accountability across the branches of government.”
The 50501 Movement — 50 states, 50 protests, one day — was started by grassroots organizers spreading the word on Reddit forums, Instagram, Bluesky, Discord and other social websites.
While leading the effort, 50501 was not behind every protest happening in the nation, including those in Volusia and Flager counties.
Port Orange Democrats: Protest is to ‘show people that we do care’
Protesters gather outside Port Orange City Hall to protest against President Donald Trump’s administration, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
In Port Orange, 53 protesters, most of whom were with the Port Orange Democratic Club, gathered outside City Hall from noon to 1 p.m.
“We are not dead, the ones who oppose this administration,” said the club’s president, Pamela Hanson-Peterson, at the protest. “We are not happy.”
Hanson-Peterson said one of the club’s members brought up 50501’s call for protests during a recent meeting, which led to other members expressing their wish to somehow participate in the effort.
Protesters held signs criticizing the president and Elon Musk (who leads the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE ) as well as others in support of democracy, LGBTQ and women’s rights, immigrants and more.
Ginger Jabour, an executive committee member of the club, said “there is a lot of discontent” about the Trump administration’s actions to cut federal government jobs in order to shrink spending.
Ginger Jabour holds sign that reads “We The People are pissed!” during protest against President Donald Trump’s administration, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
“Getting rid of dedicated federal employees that we really need,” Jabour said. “They are people who are inspecting our food, keeping our airlines going, protecting our privacy. And I think we are tapping into that discontent — I don’t think people voted for this.”
Jabour said the Democratic Party “fell down on the messaging” in the past few years.
“The Democratic Party has always stood for the little guy,” Jabour said. “For the civil rights of men, women, blacks, whites, trans, gays — everybody … . Somehow, Trump and his people managed to make them think the Republicans cared.”
The task now, she added, is to spread the party’s message and “show people that we do care.”
“We got outshouted,” Jabour said.
Debbie Reaney, 53, brought a sign in support of women’s rights, which she made several years ago and which she has brought to numerous abortion-related protests over the years.
“They kept telling me I was crazy about Roe v. Wade being overturned, that nothing was going to happen,” Reaney said.
A protester holds sign that reads, “Impeach the game show host” during a protest in Port Orange against President Donald Trump’s administration, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 ruled 6-3 to overturn Roe v. Wade, ruling that Americans would no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.
Reaney said she is concerned about a proposed House Resolution 772, which proposes to “implement equal protection” under the 14th Amendment for the “right to life of each born and preborn human person.”
U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri) introduced the bill last month, and it has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
She said she was “upset” that last year’s Amendment 4 proposal to overturn Florida’s six-week ban and guarantee the right under state law failed, adding that she hopes more young citizens get involved in politics.
“My mother marched, my grandfather died in World War II so we can have these rights,” Reaney said. “And the fact that we even are still fighting for our rights as women is unbelievable.”
‘We are the resistance’
In West Volusia, roughly three dozen protesters waved signs and sang songs that included John Lennon’s “Power to the People” at the intersection of New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard in DeLand.
“I’m out here because I want this country to remain a democracy,” said Bill Brennan, 69, who was toting a sign emblazoned with “Nobody Elected Musk” in big block letters. “What I see happening now is someone (President Trump) trying to dismantle the efficient running of the government so they can benefit billionaires and hurt 97% of the rest of us.”
Among other sentiments reflected on the signs: “Impeach President Musk;” “Project 2025 Ends Democracy;” “We Are the Resistance;” “Immigrants Make America Great;” and “We the People Not We the Billionaires.”
“I’m out here because I want this country to remain a democracy,” said DeLand resident Bill Brennan, 69, who was among about three dozen anti-Trump protesters on Monday, Feb. 17, at the intersection of Woodland Boulevard and New York Avenue in downtown DeLand.
The latter was carried by Jeanne Downing, 74, of Orange City, who said that she was “out here trying to save our country because it’s on fire. I’m a trans woman and I’m worried about my life.”
Downing also is worried about what might happen to her Social Security benefits in the wake of Elon Musk’s access to private, personal information at the U.S. Treasury and other government departments.
“My total support right now for my life is my Social Security,” she said. “Not only do I want to save my Social Security, but everyone else’s, too.”
Protesters were greeted by an occasional tooting horn of support from passing motorists as well as a few jeers and middle-finger salutes from Trump supporters.
Anti-Trump protesters wave signs on the corner of Woodland Boulevard and New York Avenue in downtown DeLand on Monday, Feb. 17.
The demonstrators also included Barbara Grimm, president of the Democratic Women’s Club of West Volusia, who has been organizing weekly Saturday morning anti-Trump demonstrations in recent months in downtown DeLand.
“We are the resistance,” Grimm said. “We come from all walks of life because we can’t stand for what’s happening to our democracy.”
‘We are fighting for democracy’
One of about 50 people who gathered to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, on the Palm Coast Parkway overpass at Interstate 95.
Monday was officially Presidents’ Day but for protestors who gathered on the Palm Coast Parkway overpass at Interstate 95 it was “anti-Presidents Day” — specifically President Donald Trump. And Elon Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX and X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, got plenty of attention, as well.
Michaelle Harle, of Palm Coast, was one of the demonstrators. She was holding a sign that read “We the people. Not me the king.”
“We are fighting for democracy. We like our Department of Education …” Harle said. “And we prefer not to have an unelected Elon Musk come in and make decisions.”
Some drivers would honk their horns as they drove by the demonstrators. But there was the occasional driver who would direct a middle finger their way. The driver of a pickup truck revved its engine into a mechanical din drowning out all conversations. Demonstrators said there had been, like the middle fingers, some revved engines of disapprovals from drivers. But they said there were plenty of approving honks as well.
Vicky Haley of Palm Coast was another demonstrator. She held a sign that read “Elon is a DOGEBAG,” a play on Musk’s new advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency.
Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, on the Palm Coast Parkway overpass at Interstate 95.
She wore a red, white and blue T-shirt that read “Pro Democracy” and “Anti Trump.” She said she and Harle were members of the “Resister Sisters.” Haley said it was wrong that a convicted felon had won the Oval Office and that Musk had so much influence.
“He’s found liable of fraud and he’s running our government,” Haley said. “We feel that Elon Musk has bought his way into our government and into our treasury department. There’s legal ways to dismantle government agencies and Elon Musk is taking his pack of 20-year-olds and going into our departments and dismantling them in an illegal way. So, we are upset about that.”
She said that while Trump claims he was given a mandate, he did not receive any mandate.
“Donald Trump does not represent who we are as a people,” Haley said.
Demonstrators protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, on the Palm Coast Parkway overpass at Interstate 95 as part of an anti-president Presidents’ Day demonstration.
And Democrats and others who disagree with Trump should not be deterred because Flagler County is a red county, she said.
“No matter where you live in the United States of America, you need to raise your voice and your voice needs to be heard,” Haley said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re outnumbered. It’s important to speak up. It’s important to speak up for people who are being taken away by ICE and people who are having their rights stripped away, LGBTQ community. If we sit quiet because we are outnumbered, shame on us. It’s time to speak up.”
Vanessa Sanabria, who lives in Palm Coast, was born in the United States but is of Colombian heritage, said people are going to be deported no matter who is in office. But she is concerned about the xenophobia and families being torn apart. She held a sign that read “Bad DOGE” with a picture of Musk making a recent controversial hand gesture.
“What kind of just scares me and concerns me a lot is the culture shift that is happening of just close-minded people, people hating, just the xenophobia of people coming in,” Sanabria said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Anti-Trump protests nationwide, including Volusia, Flagler
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