Opponents and critics of President Donald Trump were gathering in large numbers in Seattle and other parts of Washington and the U.S. Saturday, rallying to protest the administration’s policies and actions on the economy, immigration, cuts to government agencies and democracy itself.
By noon, thousands were at a “HandsOff!” demonstration at Seattle Center, one of the more than 1,200 planned nationwide by civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists, according to The Associated Press.
Signs at the rally read “Hands off unions,” “Hands off schools,” “Hands off free speech,” and “Fight Oligarchy.” Several Palestinian flags, and a few Ukrainian flags were also seen.
Nearly 7,000 registered for Saturday’s protest at Seattle Center, according to organizers, which include Seattle Indivisible, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, Evergreen Resistance and the “50501” movement, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day.
“Trump and Musk are taking a chain saw to our democracy,” said Seattle Indivisible President Alex Fayer in a news release. “We are sad. We are angry. But we are not afraid.”
The action to protest the Trump administration — and in particular billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (— comes just 75 days into Trump’s second term.
In that short time, the Trump administration’s decisions have caused upheaval in Washington, D.C., and virtually every foreign capital, as it pushes tectonic changes to the nation’s immigration and trade policies, and wades into conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
Washington state has been far from immune to Trump’s work.
Tariffs enacted this week by Trump have Washington’s food and agricultural industry bracing for a trade war. The resulting plunge of stock markets has taken many retirement account balances down with them.
Following Trump’s tariffs and his threats to Canadian sovereignty, border crossings from Canada to Washington state have plummeted, and in March the U.S. paused Columbia River water-sharing negotiations with Canada.
Since taking office in late January, Trump has unleashed a flood of executive orders — far more than any of his recent predecessors — intent on remaking the federal government.
In response, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has joined his peers in a flurry of lawsuits trying to block the president’s agenda, leading the charge on several prominent cases.
Some actions affecting Washington directly that have been challenged by Brown and others include cuts to public health grants; efforts to dismantle federal agencies that support libraries, museums, workers and minority owned businesses; cuts to National Institutes of Health-funded programs supporting cancer research, pediatric medicine and drug development; local firings at the Department of Education; and ending the federal refugee resettlement program.
Diane Kenny, 76, was riding the bus on her way to Seattle Center. She and her husband were meeting four friends at the protest, the first she’s attended since Trump was reelected.
“The very institutions on which this country operates — economic, political — are absolutely at threat, all at the same time,” Kenny said, mentioning that she had two grandchildren who live in West Seattle. “I’ll be damned if I let them grow up in this situation.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Seattle Times staff reporters Caitlyn Freeman and Jayati Ramakrishnan contributed to this article.
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