ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. and JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Police agencies are calling Saturday protests in Northeast Florida “peaceful, for the most part.”

While thousands marched, sang, waved flags and signs, and chanted en masse at two separate locations in Jacksonville and one in St. Augustine, there were no immediate reports of arrests or violent incidents.

Hundreds participated at a protest at the Duval County Courthouse, hundreds more at a protest near Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard in Jacksonville, and thousands were on hand in St. Augustine.

Protestors of all ages and all walks of life came together in solidarity against what they say are the dictatorial practices of President Donald Trump.

In St. Augustine Protest Organizer Suzanna Pavelle said that she has been proud of both the turnout and the response.

St. Augustine Police Department Assistant Chief of Police Anthony Cuthbert is also the Incident Commander for the St. Augustine protest.

The protests are being held to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C. to honor the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States Army on June 14, 1775. Saturday, June 14, 2025 is also Flag Day in the United States, and it was on this day that now President Donald J. Trump was born in New York in 1946.

There was no shortage of supporters as drivers passed, encouraging protesters with the honking of their horns at several of the protest locations.

ST. AUGUSTINE:

JACKSONVILLE (Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard):

Hundreds of groups are participating in the protests taking place throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America. The groups 50501 and NoKings.org have planned not to do protests in Washington, D.C. A note on the NoKings.org website says the following:

On June 14—Flag Day—Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.

Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.

For that reason, NO KINGS is not hosting an event in Washington, D.C. We will instead have a major flagship march and rally in Philadelphia to draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington.

For participants in the D.C. area, we encourage you to join us in Philadelphia, find a local NO KINGS mobilization in Virginia or Maryland, or join our partners at Free D.C. for DC Joy Day, a community-led event in the District.

Police barricades surrounded most of the protest sites, including the Duval County Courthouse. Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin spoke with demonstrators who said that they were concerned about immigration, healthcare, and the military parade in Washington, but are most concerned about President Trump.

Shouting, “Whose streets? Our streets! Whose city? Our city! Whose State? Our State! Whose world? Our world!” marchers carried signs, flags, and noisemakers.

The St. Augustine Police Department said that some counter-protestors arrived, but their numbers were small. Multiple local and state agencies were on hand for the event. One police source told WOKV that “two pro-Trump men tried to start something but we were able to step in.”

During the protest in St. Augustine a member of the St. Augustine Police Department fanned a protestor affected by the heat:

In St. Augustine protestors took advantage of the historic significance of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Celebrated as the oldest masonry fort in the United States, the 17th century structure has been under the control of several national and international governments.

VIDEO of NO KINGS DAY Jacksonville WAKEUP Protest near Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard. [Video Credit: Benjamin Fridkis]

Protests in Northeast Florida were uneventful compared to protests in other parts of the country.

[Photos and video for this story were provided by WOKV’s Benjamin Fridkis, Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin, WOKV’s Scott Young, and WOKV’s Kristine Bellino. Click on the individual photos for applicable photo credit.]

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While beautiful skies prevailed despite scorching temperatures in Northeast Florida, the military parade in Washington, D.C. faced the threat of clouds and a flood watch in the nation’s capital until 8:30pm on Saturday. The President, First Lady Melania Trump, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, however, were all smiles as they reviewed the troops on parade.

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