A small group of activists, professors, and students gathered outside Miami’s historic Freedom Tower on Monday to protest plans for Donald Trump’s presidential library, dismissing it as an “insult” to the community.
The demonstration, led by retired professor Marvin A. Dunn, targeted Miami Dade College’s decision to allocate 2.6 acres for the library. Protesters shouted slogans like “this land is for the people, not for the president” while accusing Trump of turning the project into “another hotel.”
But critics of the demonstration point out that presidential libraries are an American tradition for every modern president, and Trump’s decision to place his in Florida — where he resides — is hardly unusual. The fact that protestors equated a library with “the death of democracy” struck many as exaggerated political theater.
Dunn described the project as a “monument to Trump” and even claimed it would dishonor Cuban exiles welcomed at the Freedom Tower decades ago. Yet, for many in Miami’s Cuban-American community, Trump remains one of the most popular presidents in recent history — a stark contrast to the narrative presented by the protestors.
Some participants argued the land should be used for classrooms, while one student said the library might “incite MAGA violence.” Detractors saw this as more fearmongering than fact, noting that the library would actually bring tourism, jobs, and prestige as the first presidential library in Florida.
Governor Ron DeSantis and his cabinet are expected to approve the project Tuesday, paving the way for a library that will likely become a major attraction. Meanwhile, the protests highlighted once again how Trump continues to trigger outsized reactions from a vocal minority unwilling to accept his place in American history.
