Activist Saily González Joins Anti-Trump Rally in the U.S.: "We Recognize a Dictator When We See One"

Activist Saily González Velázquez participated in the "No Kings" march, a nationwide protest in the United States opposing what participants view as the authoritarian tendencies of Donald Trump's administration. The march took place in nearly 2,000 locations across the U.S., including cities, towns, and community spaces. González Velázquez shared moments from the demonstration in Alexandria, Virginia, on her Facebook stories.

“Not all Cubans support someone who wants to be a dictator. Some of us recognize one when we see one, believe that migrants' rights are human rights, and understand that without due process, there is no democracy,” González Velázquez stated. She also posted images from the march, chanting slogans in English such as “This is what democracy looks like.”

Additionally, she criticized the military parade organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, which coincided with Donald Trump's 79th birthday, funded by taxpayer dollars. In a comprehensive Facebook post shared shortly after, she reflected, “I saw how this protest was organized to defend my rights, while fear of participating made me want to stay home posting on social media.”

“That's exactly why I went: because I believe when you are afraid to exercise your rights, it's when you most need to stand up for them,” González Velázquez explained. She questioned her right to be at the protest until she learned that “the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right to assemble peacefully for all people under this country's jurisdiction, not just for citizens.”

González Velázquez declared that the thousands of Cubans who protested made it clear to congressional community representatives that they are “a generation that does not settle for empty anti-communist rhetoric.”

Protests Across Florida

Thousands gathered across southern Florida on Saturday as part of the national "No Kings" movement, protesting against what they describe as the authoritarian shift in Donald Trump's administration and demanding the defense of democracy. The protests took place simultaneously in various cities across the state as part of a coordinated national effort.

Early on Saturday, streets in Coral Springs, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Homestead, and Miami Beach filled with demonstrators waving flags, chanting slogans, and holding colorful signs with messages like “No Kings in America.”

In West Palm Beach, hundreds of demonstrators gathered, particularly noteworthy was the line of people marching near Mar-A-Lago, Trump’s luxurious estate in Florida. In Fort Lauderdale, aerial footage captured by Sky 10 showed hundreds of people gathered near the intersection of A1A and Sunrise Boulevard, peacefully marching along the beach under watchful police presence.

In downtown Miami, especially at the Torch of Friendship, thousands gathered starting at 11:30 a.m. to express their dissatisfaction. In Miami Beach, the gathering was held at Pride Park. In Coral Springs, over 150 people had assembled by 8:30 a.m., half an hour before the official start of the protest at the intersection of Sample Road and University Drive. The atmosphere, although suburban, was filled with intensity and commitment.