A crowd estimated between 700 and 1,000 people gathered in front of the Ukiah Courthouse on Saturday joining with over 1,300 protesters in every state including Puerto Rico, and a number of participating countries including Scotland and the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, American Samoa and Canada.
The “Hands Off” protest, organized by over 150 groups garnered over half a million RSVPs on their website. Locally, simultaneous protests took place in Lakeport, Cloverdale, Point Arena, Gualala, Fort Bragg and Willits. Saturday’s march was among the three largest protests in Ukiah’s history- the biggest being the Women’s March in 2017, which brought out about 2,000 people.
The issues that brought together so many protesters included outrage at the firing of thousands of federal employees, the closure of Social Security offices and veiled threats by the Trump administration to “go after” Social Security benefits, cutting back funding and personnel for programs connected to health care, Head Start and veterans, the fear of illegal deportation and “disappearance” of immigrants and the assault against the LGBTQ+ community.
Longtime activist and psychologist J Holden was bedecked in his well-used Uncle Sam costume. “This might be the last time I can wear it,” he laughed, pointing to a rip in the sleeve. Photo by Karen Rifkin.Protesters filled the area surrounding the Mendocino County Courthouse, with hundreds of people carrying signs, filling the sidewalks on State Street from Perkins to Standley Streets. Cars drove by, showing their support by honking, or their disapproval by gunning their engines and loudly peeling out from stop lights.
Indivisible Ukiah was the organizing body for the event, and speakers included Tony Melville, Jamie Connerton, Jackie Orozco and her son Esteban.
Connerton is a retired public-school teacher and a veteran, who enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He did not hold back in his disgust for the Trump administration’s cuts to veteran’s services.
“Our ‘King,’” said Connerton, sarcastically, “ordered 80,000 jobs cut from the Veterans Administration, camouflaging the cuts as efficiency. Does he think we’re stupid?” he asked the crowd. “Many veterans depend on life-sustaining services,” he continued, adding that many of the people fired from the VA were veterans themselves. “Private control of public institutions is the definition of fascism. We should know who the gangsters are. It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on!” he said to applause.
The signs said it all, with people getting creative with their artistic prowess and their verbiage.
“I can barely put a list together of all the bad things that are happening,” says Sharon Paultin, sporting a “Doge” costume complete with a Donald Trump puppet and a miniature chainsaw. “We need to get together to get back our country.”
Deborah Moore, teacher, held and sign that depicted a hand, saying “Hands Off” with photos of Social Security cards, a California Benefits card and a Medicare card, with the added, “And as for stupid tariffs, don’t touch my champagne!”
I’m filled with sorrow for all the terrible things people all over the world are experiencing, enabled by Trump and Musk,” Moore said. “I’m worried for my daughter and granddaughter, and if I’m going to get my first Social Security check in June, because if not, life will become much more pinched and much smaller.”
Longtime activist and psychologist J Holden was bedecked in his well-used Uncle Sam costume. “This might be the last time I can wear it,” he laughed, pointing to a rip in the sleeve.
“If you want to make America great, tax the rich. It’s that simple. It would pay for social security for years.”
This was not the first rodeo for 12-year-old Abner, who held a sign saying “Trump Couldn’t Care Less about your job, your kids, your health, your future. “I think the worst thing he’s done is shutting down ways to give food to homeless people.”
Don Hughes held a simple sign: “Hands off My Medicare.” But he had post-it notes that had additional items to protect, which included National Parks, cancer research, food bank funding, Social Security and International Aid. “My fear is that the budget bill coming out the house will stop Medicare and Medicaid. But here we are. We’re here and there are quite a few of us,”
Marilyn’s sign said, “Donald Musk, ‘You’re Fired!’” “Trump is destroying our democracy. Civil rights are the critical issue right now. They are at the heart of the matter.”
Gail Kreider and her husband Rob didn’t have a sign but were happy to see the large crowd. “There’s a felon in the highest office of the land who’s destroying our country,” said Gail. “Do you know who developed the tariff plan?” Rob asks. “A fake person.” He is referring to the breaking news that Donald Trump relied on the advice of one “Ron Vara,” a non-existent “expert” who was invented by Peter Navarro by using the letters of his last name, and who is repeatedly quoted as an expert throughout several of Navarro’s books.
Lena works for a city park, and her colleagues work in the Federal Park system, ‘Parks need people,” she says. She and her mother, Julie Beardsley, past president of SEIU were carrying very clever signs of “St. Upid,” the patron saint of economic collapse, featuring none other than the face of Donald Trump in the guise of a saint. Beardsley attended recent town meeting held by Congressional Representative Jared Huffman at Mendocino College.
“Fascism is on the horizon, if not already here,” says Beardsley. “Huffman called a spade a space, admitting that the Trump administration was violating the Constitution.”
Anna held handmade signs saying, “Musk Bought Trump, not the USA,” and “Veterans Benefits Paid Full in their Blood.”
“I’m worried that my Medical benefits are going to be cut off. I want my kids to live stress-free. We need a system that works for us, not against us.”
Wendy held a sign saying “Musk/noun. A strong-smelling reddish-brown substance,” with a likeness of the poop emoji at the bottom. “America should remain a democratic country- not an autocracy or an oligarchy. I am ashamed how the President has alienated our allies. Musk doesn’t belong in government. He is not an elected official.”
Long time troublemaker Laura Hamburg held a sign saying, “Who Would Jesus Deport?”
“I am standing up, fighting because this is happening before my eyes. We won’t stand for this. Let us link arms with every person and not tolerate disappeared, deported people. It’s really important that small-town, rural America stand up and be noticed. We rely on Federal dollars, and we rely on each other.”
Kim held a hand-painted sign with four faces of Donald Trump, wearing “Many Bad Hats,” which included the hats of dictators and a prison hat. “This is one thing we can do,” she said. Trump hates people speaking against him. My sister is in Colorado right now, doing the same thing. We’re all here, speaking against this.”
John’s poster said, “Gun Owners Against Trump.” He said, “The general perception is that rural white men are in favor of Trump. I wanted to call attention to the fact that the stereotypes are not accurate, and if possible, reach out to some of those people peeling out in their trucks.”
“You are not alone,” Esteban Orozco told the audience in a speech by Claryssa Ayala, a Mendocino College student. “Don’t live in fear. This is the land of the free. Let immigrants live free, because their families belong together.”
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