Protester arrested during march to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

A Florida man was arrested during a protest Wednesday night near President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.

Richard Keith Perlicz, 40, was charged with resisting arrest without violence during the “Confront Corruption and Demand Democracy” protest, My Palm Beach Post reported.

The event was described as a protest against Trump and the “degradation and corruption of the American government.”

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The protest, hosted by the National Organization for Women – Palm Beach County, began with a candlelight vigil and then the “first-ever moonlit march on Trump’s most cherished asset,” a reference to the Mar-a-Lago resort.

Perlicz was leading protesters down South Ocean Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. toward the resort.

According to a police report, Perlicz disobeyed police orders to remain on the sidewalk and not obstruct traffic. He also allegedly told protesters through a bullhorn to ignore police instructions and encouraged police to arrest him.

Another protester, Dave King, told the newspaper that blocking traffic is sometimes necessary.

“The (police) said they didn’t want us to go further, they said something about blocking traffic,” King said. “But that’s how democracy works. Sometimes it’s not convenient for people. And this particular guy marched down the street to make a point.”

Ari Silver, a 16-year-old who helped organize the protest, said he was disappointed that the protest was disrupted by Perlicz’s actions.

“It would’ve been a great protest,” Silver told My Palm Beach Post. “but unfortunately people like him tried to taint the protest and make us look like fools out there.”

Perlicz was released Thursday from the Palm Beach County Jail on his own recognizance, records show.