Saturday, March 24, 2018

Trump Went To Mar-A-Lago This Weekend And March For Our Lives Protesters Showed Up Outside

Trump arriving at Palm Beach International Airport on Friday.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images

As hundreds of thousands of people around the US demonstrated against gun violence during the March for Our Lives, President Trump spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and at his nearby golf course.

So protesters in West Palm Beach went to him, getting as close as it could to the so-called "winter White House."

Rosalind Adams/BuzzFeed News / Via Twitter: @RosalindZAdams

About 2000 protesters, some donning wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses in the warm Florida weather and carrying protest signs, marched toward the resort and chanted, "How many more? Not one more!" and "Save children, not guns!"

Julia, a 22-year-old student majoring in elementary school education, said she wanted “stricter gun laws,” and that she wanted to make sure the US could create an environment that was safe for all kids.

“I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen — and the fact that it’s coming from young people is inspirational,” she told BuzzFeed News.

Masha Blummer and Carol Kaplan of Baywinds, West Palm Beach, said they were at the Florida rally "for the good of our children and the good of our grandchildren."

"We're here fighting for all children across the states, across the nation. We hope we’ll do some good," Blummer told BuzzFeed News.

At one point the demonstrators encountered some counter-protesters — and a truck with a Trump sign drove by, drawing boos and jeers.

Trump went to the Trump International golf club in Florida a little after 9 in the morning, and his motorcade arrived back at Mar-a-Lago by around 2:30 in the afternoon, according to White House press pool reports. Trump plans to stay at the Florida resort for the rest of the weekend.

West Palm Beach resident Robert Schrotemboer told BuzzFeed News it seemed like President Trump and some legislators were at least open to "having some dialogue" about stricter gun laws.

“I think these marches are having an impact, and I think people who had the line drawn in the sand about what they would vote for and against are moving the line a little bit,” he said. Schrotemboer was at the rally with his wife Alice and his 17-year-old daughter Claire, who said she registered to vote Saturday.

As of Saturday afternoon, Trump had not tweeted any acknowledgement of the March for Our Lives protests happening around the country, though White House spokesperson Lindsay Walters issued a statement Saturday morning on the marches.

Carolyn Kaster / AP

"We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their Fist Amendment rights today," Walters said.

It is reportedly 135th day at a Trump property as president.

BuzzFeed News was live with the demonstrators. Watch part of our feed here:

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