People across northeast Wisconsin take part in nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ rallies against Trump, Musk
APPLETON & OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - People across the country, upset over President Donald Trump’s agenda, are holding a national day of protest, rallying in numerous cities, including several in our area.
Organizers oppose the president over his handling of immigration, the economy, and other issues, as well as Elon Musk, for his efforts to downsize the government through the Department of Government Efficiency.
The “Hands Off!” rallies held at Houdini Plaza in Appleton and Opera House Square in Oshkosh saw a massive crowd of people, with multiple organizations, like the Democratic Party of Outagamie County and Forward Fox Valley, organizing to criticize President Trump’s handling of things like reproductive rights, racial equity, and more.
In Appleton, 2,300 people stood shoulder to shoulder along College Avenue, spanning nearly three blocks and holding signs.
”I want the American dream. I don’t want to be scared that someone’s going to question my legal status, and that’s what’s happening right now. Anybody that they don’t deem as part of their view of America, that’s not what America stood for,” said Susie Leitch of Appleton.
Down in Oshkosh, the crowd wasn’t quite that big, but that didn’t stop people from lining Main Street and waving signs like “Hands off our health care” and “Stop gaslighting us.”
”It’s a good chance to come cut off a little steam and support the people that are trying to steer this boat that’s gone off course,” said Mike Skoglind of Oshkosh.
One woman we spoke with says she’s protested since the Vietnam War, and she’s doing this again because she believes in standing up for what she thinks is right.
“I was in Chicago. I was in California. I stood up for the rights of all people, and I am not going to miss standing up for this. It’s so important to me to be here,” said Laurel Heiss of Appleton.
We spoke with a Trump supporter looking on who said he’s not phased by it.
“That is their right. That is their total right as an American, and I believe in every part about it. So, if they want to do what they want to do, that’s fine by me,” he said.
Skoglind says that everyone should be concerned, saying that the current administration continues to lie to people, and that they need to fight back before irreparable damage is done.
“The most recent thing was that chat thing. You have people saying, ‘Oh, I wasn’t involved in that.’ And you find out later, they were on the list and they were actually in the discussion. It’s like, well, how dumb do you think we are? You think we’re not going to find this out?” Skoglind said.
A representative for the Republican Party of Wisconsin provided a statement on the protests, saying: “President Trump campaigned on slashing bloated federal bureaucracy - and he is delivering. Voters elected President Trump because they believe in his America First agenda. The protests occurring today are based on lies Democrats continue to peddle. The administration has made it clear that any cuts made are the result of eliminating fraud and waste.”
“Hands Off!” rallies also took place at Leicht Park in Green Bay, as well as across Wisconsin in cities like Milwaukee and Madison.
Appleton Area NOW, the organizers of the rally in Appleton, say that one person was arrested by police at the start of the event.
They released a statement on the arrest, saying: “2300 people gathered to protest peacefully today, demonstrating our collective power against the current administration. While there was one minor incident between two individuals, our safety marshals and police liaisons acted quickly to de-escalate the situation and maintain a peaceful protest that lasted for more than 2 hours without further issue. We’re grateful that our community exercised their voices today, and look forward to working alongside our neighbors and growing our movement.”
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