Protesters gathered outside the Pensacola Bay Center on Wednesday to protest Republican candidate Donald Trump. Kaycee Lagarde
As Donald Trump supporters came out in droves Wednesday to rally behind the Republican presidential candidate at the Pensacola Bay Center, a small but rowdy crowd formed outside.
“Dump Trump, dump Trump, dump Trump,” they chanted, protesting Trump and essentially everything he represents.
The anti-Trump crowd peaked at about 60 people, but being outnumbered by thousands of his supporters did nothing to curb their enthusiasm. Already yelling insults against Trump and chants supporting Democratic candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, every honk from a passing car throughout the evening sparked a series of cheers.
"Ain't no power like the power of the people, 'cause the power of the people don't stop," the crowd shouted.
Dressed in a ringmaster’s coat and top hat, 26-year-old Stewart Beck of Pensacola held up a colorful sign plastered with the words “Trump Circus.”
“We’re here because we do not support Trump’s message of hate and racism, and want to show that Pensacola isn’t about this circus of just hate,” Beck said.
Aside from some insults flying between the protesters and Trump supporters stationed across Gregory Street, the dialogue remained mostly civil — but that didn't stop people from sharing their candid thoughts about Trump.
"I don't want a bigot as our president," said 19-year-old Sanders supporter Miranda Betts of Pensacola. "People say that he just speaks his mind, but really, he's a racist and a fascist."
Asked what brought her out to protest, 19-year-old Savannah Barwik said her "hatred of Trump and his ideas."
"He's just an all-around terrible person," Barwik said.
Some signs kept it simple with catchy "Dump Trump" and "Feel the Bern" slogans, while others addressed everything from immigration to racism.
“America was made on the backs of the natives and the immigrants not the checkbooks of white men,” one sign read.
Protester Joseph Lafreniere of Gulf Breeze called Trump a "despicable human being" because of his rhetoric against different groups. Lafreniere said he came out to protest at the rally in hopes of showing the public that not everyone in the Pensacola area supports Trump.
"I feel like a lot of people believe that our area, like everybody is for Donald Trump," he said. "And I'm trying to break that."
Alex Paul, 10, of Baker, Fla., talks about why he supports presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He and his dad, Bill Paul, were among a group of peaceful protesters outside the Donald Trump rally in Pensacola Wednesday. Kaycee Lagarde/klagarde@pnj.com
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