'We will not comply': Demonstrators rally in Spokane, across country in protest of Trump's policies
Apr. 19—"Science makes America Great," "Vaccines work" and "Fund biology, not bigotry" were some of the signs raised in the cool, spring air late Saturday morning on the edge of Mission Park in Spokane.
The "March for Science" rally drew well over 1,000 people who condemned President Donald Trump administration's deep cuts to science funding and medical research.
The protest, organized by Spokane Women & Allies Action Team and Spokane Pride, was one of several protests Saturday across the Inland Northwest and country that denounced Trump and his policies as undemocratic.
Elsewhere in Spokane, Young Activist Leaders of Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane organized a rally, "Money for People, Not for War," Saturday afternoon at B.A. Clark Park on Division Street and Garland Avenue. Two weeks earlier, thousands of protesters lined Division and poured into the park decrying Trump administration policies as part of the nationwide "Hands Off!" movement.
Saturday's protest at the park called on Congress to protect funding for Social Security, education, the environment and other "lifeline programs," according to PJALS' Facebook page.
In Coeur d'Alene, demonstrators gathered at the busy intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Appleway Avenue, also the site of the Hands Off demonstration earlier this month.
Back at Mission Park, protesters lined strips of grass along Mission Avenue from Perry to Superior streets holding signs as drivers going by honked in support.
Two of the protesters, Melissa Lewis and Jacob Brodbeck, dressed in costumes.
Lewis wore a penguin suit that read in part, "I AM P.A.T.T. PENGUINS AGAINST TRUMP TARIFFS!" in reference to Trump's tariffs on uninhabited islands near Antarctica that are home to penguins.
Lewis said she bought the costume online the day she heard the news about the tariffs on the desolate islands.
While tariffs are a concern for Lewis, she said she most worries about the threat to human rights and people's freedoms under Trump's leadership.
"But, this was a fun way to play with it," she said of the costume.
She said she hopes lawmakers listen to protesters' concerns because they, including Democratic elected leaders, are not doing anything in response to the Trump administration's actions.
"I'm tired of them playing like this is a football game," Lewis said. "This is our lives. This is our country and they're not doing anything."
Jacob Brodbeck dressed as Jesus and held a sign that said, "AS YOU'VE DONE TO ABREGO GARCIA YOU'VE DONE TO ME," referencing the Maryland man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, deported to El Salvador and who the Trump administration has cast as a gang member. Garcia's family and attorneys deny that claim. Brodbeck's sign was also inspired by a Bible quote, he said.
Brodbeck said he started protesting when Trump ramped up deportation efforts.
"We got a fascist in the office and we need to get rid of him," Brodbeck said.
Brodbeck, a Christian, wore a robe and a ring of thorns on his head as Jesus had before his crucifixion. Brodbeck also smeared fake blood on his face ahead of Easter Sunday.
"I'm really happy with how many people showed up today considering the weather, and I thought there'd be a big letdown after the big one on (April 5 at Clark Park)," he said. "But Spokane, man, Spokane was great."
While protesters stood along the street, others gathered in the park to listen to speakers voicing their concerns about cuts to federal agencies and programs, like the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Medicaid. They urged lawmakers to restore and expand funding for medical research, which is critical to saving lives.
Jacquelyn Belock, Cheney City Council member and Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement director at Spokane Falls Community College, said community colleges, not just universities, are "feeling the squeeze" from higher education cuts.
"We are losing good educators because we don't know where our funding is going to come from," she said. "We have students who are on the verge of mental breakdowns because they don't know where their funding is going to come from next quarter."
Belock said other federal agencies, like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which supported families affected by the Gray fire on the West Plains, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have been "gutted all under the guise of equality," Belock said.
"We will not comply," she said. "We will maintain educational justice. We will talk about climate justice. We wil provide access to education for everyone in our region."
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