Friends, family, pets and even a brass band gathered at City Park on Saturday to protest a $24.5 million golf course. The effort was coordinated by the City Park for Everyone Coalition. Instead of the golf course, supporters want to keep the area a green space free to all.

Emily Schumacher stands with the Coalition. She utilizes the "green space" by bringing her students to teach them about Mother Nature. “We'll go through the paths and identify different things through the golf course and play nature games. They'll get different points for how many animals they can sight.” Schumacher says.

Construction has already begun on the golf course, but the group and its supporters say that won't stop them for fighting for what they believe in.

“Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world,” Ariadna Blayde with the City Park for Everyone Coalition said. “We believe that just because there's this huge pressure of corporate interest bearing down on us, we are still citizens, we have rights and we are passionate about making this change.”

The green space was the former footprint of a portion the City Park Golf Complex, but it flooded during Hurricane Katrina and has been uninhabited since.

City Park officials did not return requests for comments about the protest. Additional information on the Coalition's efforts can be found on its Facebook page.

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