Latest news with #DefendDemocracy
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What do the anti-Trump protests look like in South Florida? See for yourself
Hundreds of chanting protesters, carrying signs with phrases like 'Defend Democracy' and 'No Kings since 1776,' rallied across South Florida Saturday, joining nationwide protests against Trump administration policies. There were more than 70 protests planned across Florida, including in Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Here's what the scenes look like:
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 100 people attend 'Defend Democracy' rally in downtown Mansfield
An unseasonably warm day brought out protesters on Friday. More than 100 people attended a "Defend Democracy" rally on the downtown square on a spring-like day. "We are here to express our feelings as to what's going on in D.C. and the state," said Venita Shoulders, vice chairwoman of the Richland County Democratic party's executive committee. She said the purpose of the rally was to voice opposition to the sweeping cuts President Donald Trump has made early in his second term, as well as to uphold constitutional rights. Several speakers addressed those at the rally, many of whom held signs and stood on the north side of Park Avenue West to encourage people driving through town. Gary Utt was one of the early speakers. He was a longtime county commissioner, as well as a veteran. Utt spent two years in the U.S. Army. "I never went overseas or put boots on the ground, but I did my job. I raised my hand and I served," he said. Utt is concerned cuts will cost 70,000 veterans their livelihood. "Vets are getting screwed over," he said. "They've done their job. They've defended our country." Utt is worried that many of those veterans will consider suicide. He questions what will happen if there is no one left to man the suicide prevention hotlines. "What do you think that veteran might do to himself?" Utt asked. While he didn't speak to the crowd, Alomar Davenport, head of the local branch of the NAACP, addressed the controversy about DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI refers to the policies and measures that organizations use to prevent discrimination, comply with civil rights laws and create environments more welcoming to people from marginalized say DEI focuses on race and gender at the expense of individual merit and serves as reverse discrimination against white people. Trump has vowed to get rid of such initiatives."DEI means more than what people think it means," Davenport said. "The reason for DEI is because minorities typically didn't have the opportunities." He fears the cuts will create a new version of Jim Crow laws, which were state and local laws, enforced from the post-Civil War era until the 1960s, that legally enforced racial segregation and discrimination against Black people, particularly in the South. "It is taking us back to a time when discrimination was legal," Davenport said. Not everyone supported Friday's rally. Some motorcyclists revved their engines in a seeming attempt to drown out the speakers and the crowd. Bill Freytag, a Republican member of the county board of elections and a former Shelby mayor, was outspoken about the rally on social media. "It hasn't even been two months (into Trump's) second term. I guess that's what bothers me," he told the News Journal. "Give his policies a chance. Get back to me in three years, and we'll have a discussion." Christopher Gibbs, chair of the Democratic party in Shelby County in Sidney, Ohio, made the trip to Mansfield for the rally. He is a farmer. "I am representing myself and speaking up on behalf of agriculture, specifically the Trump tariffs and the indecision we have going into the planting season. It's just devastating for farmers. "The president has applied punitive tariffs, whether it's steel or aluminum or lumber, on all our traditional trading partners. Those are three things farmers buy the most of. All of these incoming tariffs raise the price for farmers." William Pancoast was on hand to speak as a longtime union newspaper editor. "When there were healthy unions, there was a wealth of information going to the homes of union members," he said. "These print publications are mostly gone now or online or depleted from their former stature to save money." He said such publications arrived by mail and were found on many kitchen tables. Without them, Pancoast fears union members and their families will not receive accurate information about the candidates who represent their best interests. Chuck Spearman of Shelby sat at a picnic table listening to the speakers. "We've got to show support. We can't let Trump run away with everything without putting up a fight." Democrats in Ohio have fewer voices at the state level. Longtime U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Mansfield's own, lost badly in his hometown in the November general election on the way to being unseated by Republican Bernie Moreno. "I think the biggest issue at the state level is gerrymandering," County Treasurer Bart Hamilton said. "I hate to say it, but it's almost impossible (for a Democrat) to win. "We also don't have the money that our Republican friends do. Advertising sells candidates, which is unfortunate." Shoulders said people need to get involved at the local level. "We've got to be active, getting involved in terms of writing legislators, making phone calls, showing up for these rallies," she said. "The groundswell has got to grow. We can't afford to wait." mcaudill@ 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: County Democrats protest against President Trump and policies
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ron Estes, ‘Americans For Prosperity' rally met with dozens of protesters
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rally advocating for President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to be made permanent was held at Wichita's Union Station Saturday afternoon. The 'Defend Prosperity' rally, hosted by conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and attended by State Representative Ron Estes, was met with shouts from protesters. The event discussed topics outside of tax policies, and protesters used it as a lightning rod to express their opposition to state leaders about a variety of topics. Organizers — alongside Estes — argued to their supporters that if the 2017 tax regulations were left to expire, Kansas would see an increase in their rates. 'We want to make sure we don't lose those advantages we've gotten over the last few years in terms of higher wages for workers and higher tax revenue for the federal government,' Estes said in an interview prior to the event. The sounds of applause inside Union State were the only thing cutting through the constant chants from Defend Democracy protesters just outside. 'Not sure there's one [issue] we focus on. This group actually started with 'Defend Rowe' in 2022 and that page kind of grew from there in the past few years,' organizer Shannon Boone said. 'There's just so many things that feel like they're under attack right now or are uncertain.' The protest started at Nafzger Park. Defend Democracy demonstrators linked with a women's rights march before heading to Union Station. The signs held by demonstrators included issues from the war in Ukraine to women's reproductive rights. 'The DEI, USAID, you know, the firing of so many people for no reason. The park rangers,' protester Victoria Fox said. They argued that the mass layoffs by President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are only hurting Kansans. They also said the President Trump's 2017 tax cuts largely went to the already wealthy. Back at the rally, representatives with AFP say DOGE layoffs are worth the cost. 'It's never fun when anybody ever loses employment,' APF Kansas Director Elizabeth Patton said. 'That's awful. But it would compound the issue even further if we don't make sure that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is made permanent.' Speakers at the event rarely addressed the omnipresent protesters. One radio host gesturing to the crowd through the windows and suggested they needed mental healthcare. He later clarified he meant those shouting profanity. KSN attempted to speak to Representative Estes, but he left the rally without addressing the media present. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters in Kalispell rally against Trump's government shakeup
Feb. 11—About a hundred people gathered in downtown Kalispell on Monday to protest the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to reshape the federal government. Braving frigid temperatures, demonstrators arrived at the intersection of Main and Third streets about noon to push back on what event co-organizer Leanette Galaz considered an overreach of executive power. "We don't agree on everything," said Galaz. "But as you can see from the signage, we agree we don't want an authoritative government." The protest mirrored other demonstrations in opposition to the Trump-led changes roiling Washington, D.C., including a Feb. 5 protest at the statehouse in Helena. In the few weeks since resuming office, Trump — with help from Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency — has sought to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, slashed or frozen federal spending and induced government employees to leave their positions. The flurry of unilateral activity, slammed by opponents as unconstitutional, has resulted in dozens of court cases across the country. In Kalispell on Feb. 10, protestors hoisted signs calling for the removal of Musk, who has been named a special government employee by the White House, and objecting to federal spending cuts implemented under his watch. A few motorists honked as they drove by the demonstration. Former middle school teacher Anne Castren said cuts to public health research funding concerned her. She is enrolled in a trial for stage IV lung cancer, which she worried would be canceled along with other research programs. "What's happening is going to impact Democrats and Republicans alike," said Castren. Debbi Gilsoul said she was anxious about Trump's efforts to implement harsher border control policies. Gilsoul was born and raised in Kalispell, but said she supported immigrant families and worried about recent accounts of racial and ethnic profiling. "I'm very frightened," she said. "I feel like our democracy is being overtaken by people who don't know what's going on." Chair of the Flathead Democratic Party Ron Gerson said his concern goes beyond party politics. He worried about the unprecedented moves the administration has taken during its short tenure. "This isn't really a political thing," said Gerson. "This is just a groundswell of folks that are fed up with what's happening." Galaz said there would be more protests in the coming weeks, though the group had no firm plans yet. "As long as people will come, there's a reason to organize," said Galaz. Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider Attendees of a Defend Democracy rally hold signs along Main Street in downtown Kalispell on Monday, Feb. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Casey Kreider
