Hands off our democracy

On Saturday, April 5, several protests gathered across the country, known as Hands Off to denounce the authoritarianism, layoffs and retributive actions and policies from the Trump administration and Republicans. Locally here in Central Oregon there were six Hands Off nonviolent protests events: Bend, Sisters, Redmond, La Pine, Madras, and Prineville according to a poster posted about the protests at Coats Campus Center.
At the protest in Bend, on the corners of Wall Street and Greenwood Avenue. known locally as Peace Corner, there were approximately 1000 to 1200 participants who showed up between noon and 6 p.m. to protest, according to Bend Action Coalition.
Among those who attended included 2SLGBTQIA+ activists and supporters, women rights activists, veterans, Palestinian protesters, Indigenous and Native American groups; parents, young adults, older adults and even a protesting pirate. There were clever signs and shirt slogans, other protesters even dressed up. One protester took on the appearance of “The Handmaids’ Tale”, another dressed up as a protesting pirate, in the form of Jack Sparrow. Some outspoken activists had plenty of reasons to come out; exercise their first amendment rights.

Melinda stood with solidarity with other protesters on Greenwood Ave. She had been protesting for a free State of Palestine ever since 202, when in 2016 Palestinans stood beside her on the front lines at Standing Rock in North Dakota, to whom Melinda is forever grateful for their support and continues to stand up for them.
“There’s so many reasons to be out here, you know, with immigrants under attack…The fact that Donald Trump has to say that Mexico brings their worst. I don’t…I don’t see the hate that he sees, not everybody’s a criminal. Not every immigrant is a criminal,” said Melinda.
Melinda also wants to bring awareness that Trump is also attacking the Indigenous and Native American communities by wanting to block funds to their health and their education. “He just never liked Native Americans, he’s just never has, and he has made that clear before he made it into (the) presidency. And I’m just against him, I’m against hate, I’m against racism, I’m against greed. I’m against pollution, I’m against everything that he stands for, I’m against all his grief.”
During the protest there were two vehicles that crossed the intersection headed southbound onto Northwest Wall Street with Trump flags, you could hear the disapproval roar from the crowd as they drove by.
Upon learning about the Palestinian genocide, a member of the Central Oregon for Socialism group, Natalie, had been protesting with the group every Saturday since November of 2023. The group also protests in solidarity with countries like Sudan and the Congo, and works to educate the public about Palestine.
“A lot of people aren’t taught about the real story of Palestine and how important it is, and their liberation is our liberation. It’s all connected and so it’s really, it’s really exciting to see so many people out here today,” said Natalie. in regards to liberation, a sign with the words “They took them, and then we’re next” – gives an uneven feeling about the recent news of students being deported or kidnapped when expressing their freedom of speech against the genocide. “It’s, it’s scary. Mahmoud (Khalil) and Runeysa (Ozturk) like they need to have attention on the fact that they were just kidnapped off the streets. That is not a democracy.”
On the northeast corner of Greenwood Avenue, A protester Megan had this to say “I’m here because I’m tired of being complacent in the horrible things that are being done to our country. I’m worried about the minorities in our communities and I’m really afraid that America is taking a really wrong turn, and I want to be around people who feel passionate about advocating for others’ rights and want a better America.”
Megan continued, “And I’m here for my wife too. We just got married in October. We’re really scared that marriage equality is going to be overturned, and we won’t be able to do anything from our couch and we have to be on the streets with our community,”