Fort Meade join Nationwide AI Data Center Protest
FORT MEADE, Fla. The Fort Meade demonstration was one of 12 protests held across Florida on Friday as part of a nationwide day of action coordinated by Humans First, a conservative grassroots organization chaired by former Tea Party leader Amy Kremer.
Humans First organized protests in more than 125 locations across 37 states, calling on local, state, and federal officials to take action against the rapid buildout of AI data centers. The organization describes its mission as ensuring that the future of artificial intelligence remains in the hands of everyday people rather than unelected technology executives, according to its website, humansfirst.com. Tom Gaitens, Advisor to Humans First, was among those in attendance.
Protesters included mostly residents of Fort Meade and at least one from Sun City, Florida, to participate. They held printed and handmade signs while waving at passing vehicles.
Friday’s protest came just hours after The Citrus Tea News published an investigative report documenting that commission meeting minutes dating back to June 24, 2025, including the April 14, 2026 data center vote, do not appear in the city’s publicly available digital records and have never been submitted to the commission for approval.
Several protesters expressed gratitude for media attention as they voiced frustration about the city’s lack of transparency, slow response to public records requests, and several absent commission meeting minutes from the city’s digital public record.
No city commissioners or elected officials attended the protest. The City of Fort Meade has not issued any public statement regarding the active lawsuits challenging the data center approval, the recall petitions, or the meeting minutes documented as absent from the public record by The Citrus Tea News.
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Sources: Raul Alfonso, leader, Watchdogs of Fort Meade, July 18, 2026; George McNerney, Fort Meade resident and plaintiff, July 18, 2026; Tom Gaitens, Advisor, Humans First, July 18, 2026; Humans First, humansfirst.com; Florida Statute 100.361; Chapter 119, Florida Statutes; City of Fort Meade email correspondence, July 2, 2026
