‘No Kings’ rally in front of the Florida State Capitol Building at the intersection of Monroe and Apalachee on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine/FAMUAN)
A few hundred people lined Monroe Street with signs and American Flags for Tallahassee’s fourth ‘No Kings’ demonstration, taking place at the State Capitol.
The demonstration and rally began at 10 a.m. at the intersection where S. Monroe St. and Apalachee meet and went on a few minutes after noon. Families, visitors, students and even dogs all gathered at the Capitol Building’s front lawn for a two-hour program planned by Indivisible Tallahassee.
Indivisible’s mission is to empower and embolden the public to vote, through organizing protest demonstrations and resistance events.
“We have a right to protest; we have a right to speak,” said Margaret Clark, 66, one of Indivisible Tallahassee’s leaders.
The Tallahassee resident of 40 years has been involved in each of the ‘No Kings’ protests organized in Tallahassee as well as many other demonstrations including ‘Hands Off’ which, like ‘No Kings’, have shown up across the country.
She attributes her passion for organizing and democracy to her being the daughter of immigrant parents, who she says she can’t let down.
“I’m going to fight for what they brought here,” Clark said. “They left their country, their culture, their language to come here and raise us.”
Ion Sancho, 75, moved to Tallahassee in 1978 and has called it home since. He also served for 28 years as Leon County’s supervisor of elections, something he feels nobly about.
He was the event’s first guest speaker.
Ion Sancho, 75, speaks at No Kings rally on Oct. 17, 2026, in Tallahassee, FL. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine/FAMUAN)
“We’re supposed to be a lamp of freedom and liberty to the world,” Sancho said. “A nation that wasn’t one race, a nation that wasn’t just one group of people.”
His reason for attending the rallies and for public service stems from the story of his birth and how his parents were turned away from Queen’s Hospital in New York simply because they were Puerto Rican.
The only hospital in the city that would take them was Harlem County Hospital, which he proudly says is on his birth certificate.
“I believe in the Pledge of Allegiance that I said every day in public school,” Sancho explained. “We should be living in one nation where liberty and justice applies to everyone.”
His urge to the public is to study history and to believe in the promise of America’s dream.
Rob Duarte, a Tallahassee resident in the Indian Head neighborhood, is a member of Puppets Rising where he and collogues planned for over a year how they could foster a place where immigrants felt welcomed.
‘No Kings’ rally in front of the Florida State Capitol Building at the intersection of Monroe and Apalachee on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine/FAMUAN)
What they decided on were giant 10-foot puppets depicting people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
“We’re all people who feel like we need a government and president that’s caring and cares specifically about immigrants,” Duarte said.
Around half a dozen puppets with people inside, and an entourage of people wearing eyeball hats came to the Capitol with the vision to inspire change.
“This isn’t namby pamby feel good stuff, this is real work,” said Bob Williamson.
Williamson, 43, came with his wife and son to participate in the demonstration. He said that his wife is the one who got the family to attend together but was pleased to be able to show his son who recently started social studies what civic action looks like.
“I’m glad we’re all up here,” he shared. “It’s critical that we show up.”
‘No Kings’ rally in front of the Florida State Capitol Building at the intersection of Monroe and Apalachee on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine/FAMUAN)