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.
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A protester, dressed as a maidan from the “Handmaids Tale” holding hands in a prayer like stance. Beside them is a sign in red that read: “The War on Women Will be written with the Blood of our Daughters”
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A protester holds a sign up with a picture of Elon Musk that says, “DOGE must be accountable”, next to the Elon Musk are the words, “By the time they figure out what I am really up to it will be to late”
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Activists holds a sign on April 5 what says Hitler Also Demanded Absolute Loyalty
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Sign being held up by an activist: Trump is destroying what makes America great
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One activist displays a sign with the definition of a psychopath along with the words Trump is a psychopath
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An activists blue shirt with F Elon and the Felon.
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Honk for Peace sign on Northwest Wall Street in Bend, along with other signs of protest.
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Hands Off Protest on April 5: A group of protesters on the Northwest corner of Wall Street
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Protest sign with the words “Veterans are not government waste”
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Protestor with a sign that read: Keep the Immigrants, Deport the Racists
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Crowd of protests on the corner or Newport and Wall Street.
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A larger crowd of activists at the Hands Off event protesting the Trump Administration’s actions.
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Activists in unity on Greenwood and Newport Avenues.
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Activists using their first amendment rights.
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Hands Off Protest that took place in downtown Bend, Oregon
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A Free Palestine Flag at the Hands Off event in early April
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A Foxtrot Delta Tango sign, at the Hands Off Event on April 5
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Hands Off Social Security sign at the 2025 Nationwide Hands Off event.
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April 5 protest sign: DOGE: (Destruction – Of your – Gov’t by unelected Elon)
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A crowd with signs at the Hands Off Protest: No Kings, DEI: Deport Elon Immediately, Hands Off
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A gathering of protectors displaying signs of protest at the nationwide Hands Off Event that took place on April 5:
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A crowd of activists, and protestors with signs on the side-walk of Newport Avenue.
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An activist with a sign that reads: Ikea has better cabinets.
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“Hands Off! – My granddaughter and her right to choose” sign at the nationwide Hands Off protest
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A display of activism sign: “Vets fought and died do your part fight this coup” – on April 5
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Signs on the corner of Greenwood Avenue. and Newport Avenue, where activists demonstrated their right to protest.
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Arr a Pirate protester with a sign that said: “Fascism is not defined by the number of victims but by the way it kills them”
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A floating D.J. Trump in a diaper at Hands Off Protest on April 5
Joquim Alvarez
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A sign at the Hands Off event that reads: To Ignore Evil is to become accomplice to it by Martin Luther King Jr.”
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A “Hands Off Medicare” sign at the April 5 protests
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A line of activists with signs at the Hands Off protest in Bend, Oregon.
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A Hands Off activist holds a sign with the words “Christian Nationalism is NOT Christian”
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“Hands Off Libraries” sign at the nationwide protest on April 5
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A activist holds a sign “Hands Off LGBTQ+ Rights” on Newport Avenue.
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A street pole with a ripped poster between to crossing switches with the words Free Palestine, below it is a back and white poster with an illustration of a jet flying by with words: “Their Wars – Destroying Our Climate – and life on Earth”
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Hands Off protest signs on the north side of Newport Avenue, one sign states: Honk for Peace.
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A raised fist with the words Hands Off Our Democracy sign at the protest event in early April.
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A Hands Off Workers Rights sign near a parking lot in downtown Bend
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A number of protestors outside of the Bank of America sign on Greenwood Avenue and Wall Street, hold up signs of protest against the Trump Administration.
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Hands Off Trans Rights sign at the Hands Off event on April 5
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An number of activists in front of the First Interstate Bank building protesting the actions of the Trump Administration.
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Hands Off Protest on April 5: A protester holding up a sign that said: “Get Your Tiny Hands off my Marriage.”
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An activist holds a sign that reads: “Elon Musk gets a lot of hate but it is not enough we can do better” in all caps
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A poster with the words “Fire Elon Save Elmo” is held up by an activist.
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“People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”, reads a sign at the April 5 protests.
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A protest poster with an illustration of Medusa with words: The Female Gaze – Petrify the Patriarchy, we are not going back, we are not.
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Activists hold a sign that states that We Believe Black Lives Matter, No human is Illegal – Love is Love Women’s Rights are Human Rights.
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A activists with a crown of the Statue of Liberty, holds a sign that reads: Immigrants are not criminals but the president is.
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A activist holds a sign with Together We Rise
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Demonstrators at the Hands Off Protest on April 5, with signs of fighting for democracy
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Patriots against Fascism sign at the Hands Off protest that took place in Bend.
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Indigenous flags waved in the wind at the April 5 Hands Off protest, one of them reads Land Back
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Activist holds a sign on a the event protesting the recent kidnappings. “They Kidnapped Mahmoud then Rumeysa and you’re next.”
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Hands Off Protest on April 5: in the foreground a demonstrator held up a sign that said “No Peace on Stolen Land, End the Occupation” in the background there is another demonstrator with a sign that said, “Free Mahmoud”
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Stop the Genocide sign in red at the Hands Off protests on Newport Avenue.
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At the peace corner, in downtown Bend A crowd of activists gathered in unity to protest for their country.
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Activists, along the sidewalk of Greenwood Avenue, on April 5
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Activists show their support in solidarity, with other protestors across the country.
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A activist holds a sign that says Free Mahmoud sign at Hands Off
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A Wisconsin sign had plenty to say with a block of cheddar cheese demolishing a Tesla, in front of a capital building at the Hands Off Protest:
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An activist with Indigenous Resistance on the back of their shirt.
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Hands Off Protest on April 5
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Hands Off Protest on April 5: A NO KINGS sign with an AI graphic depicting a Time like magazine beside it.
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Activists with signs that call for Hands Off Trans Freedom and We the People – Trump you work for us! Hands Off.
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Woman held up a sign at the Hands Off Protest on April 5, “No Sign is Big Enough 2 list the Reason I’m Here”
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An activist held up a sign that reads: “Real Patriots don’t: 1) Warship Billionaires, 2) Chant with Nazis, 3) Fear free elections, 4) Riot for a cult leader, 5) Hate their neighbour
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An activist protesting with science facts.
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Activists on the corner on Wall Street, had lots to say about the women’s rights
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Hands Off Protest signs on April 5: Dogs against DOGE – Woof!, Bring back community
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A sign that reads “The most dangerous gang in America” with a list of all the people who are in Trumps cabinet along with Musk.
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Hands Off Protest sign on April 5, states “Deport Musk to El Salvador”
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A sign that reads: So Bad even the introverts are here! at the Hands Off Protest in Bend.
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Insane Clown Posse sign with photos of Musk, D. J. Trump and RFK Jr.
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A Trump supporter drove by the Hands Off protest in Bend, with a a flag that waved Trump 2024
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On the back of a Trump supporter’s vehicle had the words “Winning with DOGE” on the back window as it drove by the Hands Off protest in Bend
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,”
