The May Day rally in The Villages ended early Thursday after representatives from Commercial Property Management arrived on the scene and cried foul over the protesters’ parking.
Villagers for Democracy had planned well in advance to join in the nationwide call to action with a rally at the entrance to Lake Sumter Landing. Last month the Hands Off rally, in the same location, attracted a huge crowd. That rally raised eyebrows and drew national media attention, because it occurred in President Trump’s stronghold in The Villages.
The May Day rally drew a crowd of about 800 protesters and the parking lot at the shuttered former Winn-Dixie supermarket was filled to capacity by about 11 a.m.
Representatives of Commercial Property Management descended on the scene at about 11:45 a.m. and told the organizers of the rally that the parking lot was private property and ordered that it be vacated. Commercial Property Management claimed Lake Sumter Landing merchants had raised concerns about a lack of available parking for customers.
A rumor quickly spread through the crowd that cars were being towed, although the rumor proved to be untrue.
The protesters who had arrived by car soon departed. Those who had traveled to the rally by golf cart demonstrated a bit longer.
The national May Day rallies were organized to call attention to Trump’s policies, particularly those viewed as harming American workers and their families.
Casey Marr of Villagers for Democracy indicated that more demonstrations will be announced in the near future.