Thousands attend Cocoa 'No Kings' protest

• Brevard County residents turned out for nationwide anti-Trump "No Kings" protests.
• In Cocoa, residents carried signs and wore costumes as they criticized President Trump.
• Organizers include local groups like Awake Brevard, STOP Moms for Liberty, and the Brevard Democrats.

Thousands of Brevard residents joined Americans across the country on Saturday, Oct. 18, in nationwide anti-Trump "No Kings" protests.

In Cocoa, an estimated 3,000 people carried homemade signs — and some wore costumes — at the intersection of State Road 520 and U.S. 1. Cocoa police officers monitored the area. Another, separate rally was planned at Babcock Street and Palm Bay Road.

Kathy Abel and her husband, Dave Abel, and a group of their friends joined the crowd on the packed sidewalk on the northwest corner of the U.S. 1 and King Street intersection. Many cheered, and passing drivers honked horns at the stoplight, as Dave Abel played guitar and he, Kathy and their friends sang "This Land is Your Land."

"I'm worried that this government is trying to lead us into a dictatorship," Kathy Abel said. "People's rights are being trampled every day with this government ... that's why I'm here."

Signs and T-shirts were many and blunt, from “This is the government the Founders warned us about” and “No Faux Kings” to “Apathy is Not an Option” and “Democracy Not Tyranny,” the latter sign held aloft by a man wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Once I Was Afraid, Now I’m Terrified.”

Carlos McCauley led those lining U.S. 1 from King Street south to Stone Street in a call-and-response chant asking for the release of the Epstein files, while others focused on immigration, with chants of “No to Alligator Alcatraz.”

Alberto Cobos, a sombrero atop his head, walked through the crowd lining King Street to the south of U.S. 1.

The son of an immigrant from Ecuador, he was born in the United States, but said that because of the state of current immigration enforcement, “I always have my ID on me.”

Saturday's protest was being organized and sponsored by Awake Brevard, STOP Moms for Liberty, Brevard Democrats, Space Coast LGBTA Democratic Caucus and Space Coast Progressive Alliance.

Many people across Brevard thought they were "alone in their concerns," said Liz Mikitarian, STOP Moms for Liberty founder.

"Our coming together at these events has developed a network of strong advocates for truth, justice and sanity,” she said.

Mikitarian, who was on the southeast corner of U.S. 1 and King Street during the rally, said the No Kings movement speaks to her because "I grew up in the '60s and lived through the many fights related to rights in our country."

"I’ve seen the hard-fought civil rights, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights movements and now see all of those accomplishments being stripped away," she said. "The slogan 'Make America Great Again' disregards that some things were not so great and we cannot go back to those times in our history."

Being part of the No Kings movement is just ‘in the blood” for retired teacher Elise Wagner, who stood on the sidewalk south of U.S. 1. as the crowd grew between 11 a.m. and noon.

She staked out a spot with some shade, she said, to wave her sign. On one side, it featured pictures of “Kings to Respect,’ including Martin Luther King Jr; author Stephen King; Rodney King, who was badly beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991; singer Carole King; and tennis legend Billie Jean King. On the other were the words “Trump is not healthy for children and other living things.”

“I’m here for my grandchildren and my dad, who marched against segregation in the 1960s,” said Wagner. “My parents taught me to fight for everybody’s rights.”

The "kind, compassionate and inclusive moral compass of our countrymen" is being ignored by many current decision makers, Mikitarian said.

"People were given promises like a better economy and more opportunity, but now they see that both of those things have actually gotten worse," Mikitarian said.

"They see that actions are happening that are like actions done by dictators and yes, kings. Stripping people of voting rights and due process is an extremely slippery slope. It flies in the face of our Constitution and our commonly held American expectations. People are angry and raising their voices to say enough."

Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news/Style editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or [email protected]. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly

This story will be updated.