Attendees of the Red Cross Ball won't be the only admirers of a fireworks display at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday evening.
More than 600 protesters have pledged to march across the Southern Boulevard Bridge during the ball to protest the Red Cross having its event there, according to the protest's Facebook page March to Mar-a-Lago for Humanity.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight restriction notice over the club for Friday through Monday, an unofficial confirmation that Trump will spend the weekend in Palm Beach.
Protest organizer Stephen P. Milo said the Red Cross’ purpose of alleviating human suffering directly conflicts with Trump’s policies, and the group wants to send its message of unification with a “show of light.”
“We want to be seen. We want our message to be heard, but we want it to be a very peaceful and cooperative effort,” Milo said in a phone interview Monday.
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The group plans to head south from Trump Plaza along South Flagler Drive to Southern Boulevard, where they would travel east across the Southern Boulevard Bridge to Bingham Island. Milo said that route is subject to change, and he plans to meet with other political groups Tuesday to get a better estimate of how many people will attend.
The march will end with a “silent disco protest ball” where protesters will use glow sticks and flashlights in lieu of signs, according to the Facebook page. Protesters also will watch the fireworks show put on by the Red Cross Ball, the page said.
Public Safety Director Kirk Blouin said in a phone interview Monday that officials have been monitoring the protest. They plan to reach out to the organizers and allow marchers to assemble on Bingham Island, the causeway between Mar-a-Lago and the bridge.
“That’s the most likely location,” Blouin said. “[It] keeps them off the roadway, keeps them safe, and it keeps them safe from the passing motorists.”
The Palm Beach Police Department will be responsible for crowd control of protesters, but it could use mutual aid with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, which handles security with the Secret Service when Trump is in town.
“So should things get out of hand, we can rely on our other law enforcement partners to assist,” Blouin said.
He was unaware of any counter-protests scheduled for the same time.
The group has not requested a permit from the Town of Palm Beach, according to Regina Kamak, an office assistant in the Town Clerk’s Office. She said requests for special event permits have to be submitted 30 days prior to an event.
Milo created the event on Facebook on Thursday evening, and the number of attendees has grown exponentially every day since. Monday afternoon, 625 people had indicated that they planned to attend and another 1,800 said they were interested in attending.
“It just seems to be getting a lot of traction,” Milo said.
He said he hasn’t coordinated with law enforcement yet because he wants a better understanding of the protest’s scale, which he expects to have after meeting with other organizers Tuesday .
Milo noted that the protest is not a move to disrupt the Red Cross Ball or to cause problems for motorists.
“I don’t want it to be that kind of protest,” Milo said. “We want it to be a safe and joyful experience.”
> Trump protesters gather in West Palm, just west of Mar-a-Lago
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