President Donald Trump held a rally at the Melbourne international Airport on Saturday as a thank you for his supporters in Melbourne because during the election city was almost completely for Trump. Thousands of trump supporters were packed into the hangers and listened as Trump gave his speech.

“I’m not a full-blown trump supporter,” sophomore Cullen Capaldi said. “I just thought it would be a really cool, once-in-a-lifetime experience to go and see the president of the United States, and I really enjoyed it.”

The rally was unexpected as it is unusual to hold rallies after a candidate has won.

But not all people who attended the rally were Trump supporters.  Hundreds of demonstrators, the largest group of progressive protesters in Brevard County in more than a decade, lined Apollo Boulevard before, during and after the event. Organized by Women’s March Florida and Speak Out! Brevard, the protest was the Space Coast’s largest liberal demonstration since a February 2003 peace rally in downtown Melbourne opposing the Iraq invasion.

“I would have gladly gone and protested the rally,” sophomore Evan Courtney said. “ I think that Trump’s policies are terrible and I wish I was there with all of the protesters because when someone like Trump comes to where you live you have to step up and speak out against him.”

By Derek Dolnik