President Donald Trump’s
supporters and detractors clash during opposing demonstrations in downtown Orlando.
Nearly three hours into a peaceful support rally for President Donald Trump, his fan base found itself clashing with protesters Saturday afternoon in downtown Orlando, exchanging heated political jabs.
“They don’t know why they’re here,” said Tony Ledbetter, Republican chairman of Volusia County. “They’re just here.”
The I-4 Corridor “March 4 Trump” rally was one of hundreds to happen across the country Saturday. The nationwide initiative, called the “Spirit of America,” featured a focal march in Washington, D.C. Similar marches were scheduled around Florida, including in St. Augustine, Sarasota and Sebastian.
Ledbetter and nearly a dozen other Trump supporters directly squared-off with protesters when the invisible line was broken after supporters from each side dodged traffic to confront their opposition.
The rest of each group continued to shout at each other from opposite sides of Rosalind Avenue near Lake Eola.
Ledbetter asked protesters multiple times why they were there and would want to interrupt a peaceful event organized to rally support for the president.
Although some of the antiTrump protesters carried signs supporting various causes — better education, investigations into the President’s ties to Russia and calling for no wall to be built between the U.S. and Mexico — the groups were at an impasse.
About 20 Orlando police officers staffed the event, ensuring nothing physical happened between either group and that traffic was not obstructed during the demonstrations.
Police did not have to get involved at any point, but stood guard as supporters of each side stood feet apart shouting their concerns at the other on the corner of Rosalind and Eola Avenue.
Randy Ross, who was the Orange County Trump campaign chairman, organized Saturday’s rally, which drew several hundred people.
“What we wanted to do was send a positive message to President Trump and his administration,” Ross said. “That we support what it is that they
are doing.”
Ross knew about the protesters and their plans to march down to his event. He picked rally speakers, however, that would ignore whatever resistance grew from that opposition.
“This isn’t going to stop,” he said. “I think what we’re seeing on both sides is they’re not quite ready to step away and just let the actions take place.”
Sarah Wissig worked with community groups Organize Florida and For Our Future to pull together Saturday’s opposition rally. She said at least 100 people gathered on Colonial Avenue to discuss issues like the importance of LGBT rights and President Trump's travel ban before marching together to Lake Eola.
“To me, this, them, does not represent the spirit of America,” Wissig said. “And [it] does not represent the spirit of Orlando.”
Ledbetter said similar peaceful Trump events are going to continue during the president’s term and through his campaign for his next term, for which Trump filed for the day after his inauguration.
“It’s important to do this here,” he said. “We’re going to continue to get the positive message out.” cdineen@ orlandosentinel.com