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Trump, Protesters Could Make Mar-a-Lago Awkward For Red Cross Ball

Mar-a-Lago
A.P.
Mar-a-Lago

Between 500–700 guests are expected to attend the American Red Cross Ball at Mar-a-Lago Saturday.

The annual fundraising gala has been held at Trump’s Palm Beach estate for almost 60 years without controversy. 

Not so this year.

Protesters are organizing March to Mar-a-Lago for Humanity to coincide with the president’s visit. They plan to march from Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach to Bingham Island on the Intercostal Waterway near Trump’s estate.

“Our goal is to be visible to Donald Trump himself,” said Alex Newell Taylor, Captain for Women’s March Florida, one of the groups organizing the event. “To let him know that there are a large number of people in Palm Beach County that disagree with what he’s doing.”

Newell Taylor said the demonstration is not about disrupting the ball.

The American Red Cross offers aid to refugees affected by Trump’s controversial temporary immigration ban, making the choice of venue somewhat awkward.

The White House, The American Red Cross and the Town of Palm Beach did not return requests for comment.

Socialite and former Mar-a-Lago owner Marjorie Merriweather Post is credited with organizing the first Red Cross Ball in Palm Beach 60 years ago. 

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Peter Haden is an award-winning investigative reporter and photographer currently working with The Center for Investigative Reporting. His stories are featured in media outlets around the world including NPR, CNN en Español, ECTV Ukraine, USA Today, Qatar Gulf Times, and the Malaysia Star.