Large crowds took to the streets of Charlotte County on Friday, protesting the massive government layoffs led by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and Elon Musk.
Veterans, former Trump supporters and others are called for an end to the massive cuts they call government chaos, and the Trump administration calls government waste.
A few hundred people gathered in Punta Gorda, marching around the old county courthouse, protesting and carrying signs.
One protestor said her daughter-in-law found out last night that her government job in the forestry office had been cut.
Many of those protesting included U.S. veterans like Paul Cottrell, who is worried about their health care.
“I live off of insulin, and the V.A. keeps me alive, and if they were any more short-handed, they would collapse,” Cottrell said.
The crowds' frustration built as a man with a bullhorn asked how many of the protestors were being paid to be in Charlotte County. The group shouted no one.
When asked how many are there because they’re concerned about democracy, the crowd erupts into cheers.
A former Trump supporter who would only reveal her first name, Estelle, admitted she no longer supports the president.
“I mistakenly voted for Trump the very first time, and I was sorely disappointed,” Estelle said.
The disappointment didn't stop there as protestors marched past a missing sign nailed to a utility pole.
It asked where Congressman Greg Steube was amid the government cuts.
“He's missing in action! He refuses a town hall,” one man shouted.
Another woman said she had been calling and asking for a town hall meeting.
The crowd totaled some 200 people who chanted, “This is what democracy looks like.”
Kathy DiAngelo said she took the day off of work to show up and protest.
“It's a disgrace what is happening in our country. The government is being dismantled,” DiAngelo said.
While some passing by the march yelled at the protestors to go home, they refused. While they ultimately left after about an hour, many warned that they would return if the government didn’t listen to their concerns.