06-04-2025
More than 100 people turn out for Hands Off Jamestown event
Apr. 5—JAMESTOWN — About 130 people gathered on public sidewalks on Mill Hill and 10th Street on Saturday in Jamestown, holding signs in a peaceful protest about cuts to federal programs and the direction of the federal government.
The Jamestown Hands Off March was held "in solidarity" with other Hands Off 2025 events around the country, according to Olivia Schloegel, who organized the local event with Barb Lang. Both are members at large of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, and members of the organization co-hosted the event.
"It was meant to be a peaceful, brief but impactful demonstration to show our people power," Schloegel said. "And people are just really scared, a lot of people, so it's good to be together."
She said in an email to The Jamestown Sun that the event was a "peaceful collective statement of concern for the checks and balances of government and a call for our representatives to stand up against the destructive cuts to federal services, programs and jobs."
The Hands Off 2025 website said April 5 was a day for people to take to the streets nationwide with the message "Hands off!" to fight back against Donald Trump and Elon Musk "taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them."
Schloegel said people are affected locally by federal cuts, from Social Security to a USDA program that provided food for schools.
"And so we wanted to make sure that local folks had an opportunity to show up and speak out against what we don't agree with, which is these destructive cuts at the federal level," she said.
People participating carried signs about various issues. Most walked from the sidewalk in front of Newman Signs down Mill Hill, where they were met by others, then stood on the sidewalk holding the signs facing traffic. Some vehicles honked their horns as they drove by in apparent support.
Hands Off protests were also scheduled Saturday in Bismarck, Fargo and Minot.
The national League of Women Voters was a partner in the coalition in bringing the national day of action event together. Others included the National Education Association, Interfaith Alliance, Human Rights Campaign, United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America and Stand Up for Science.
A North Dakota News Cooperative poll of 500 North Dakota voters released in March found 52% approved of the job that Donald Trump was doing as president, and 59% approved of the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk.
Several people shared with The Jamestown Sun about the issues that brought them to the event.
"I believe that our democracy is at risk and that if we don't stand up, that our Congress is going to let our democracy go away," said Patty Richter. "They're going to let autocracy and oligarchy take over and we will have no more rights. We can be plucked off the streets. We will go the same way as the Nazis did in the 1930s, and we have to do something because our senators, (John) Hoeven and (Kevin) Cramer, are doing absolutely nothing."
As a retiree, she is also worried about Social Security and the impact of losing Medicaid on families.
"I believe that they are going against the Constitution," Joyce Schulz said. "That we need to protect our national parks. That we need to protect Social Security, that we need to protect free speech and to the rule of law, which is not being followed right now in the United States with all of the executive orders and not listening to the judicial branch."
Penny Briese said she was standing up for veterans.
"I am a veteran and I'm appalled what's happening to our Veterans Administration. I'm here as a woman," she said. "I'm appalled what they're trying to do to our voting rights, especially married women and poor married women. I am just appalled at what they're doing to our public lands. I mean, those lands belong to us. Donald Trump is our servant. He is here to serve us. What he's doing right now, this is not service to the American people."
Lynne Tally, former executive director of Safe Shelter, said cuts to the health department and office that helps combat violence against women brought her to the event.
"I'm really concerned that it's going to have a really negative effect on the work that I did for 41 years," she said. "Helping people who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault."
Alan Carlson said the list was long.
"I'm here to get Trump out of the way of Social Security, veterans benefits, messing with our kids education, women's choice, it goes on and on and on," he said. "I can't imagine people not standing up."
The tariffs were another concern.
"My retirement account went down $85,000 in the last two days and I'm a retired teacher so $85,000 to me is my livelihood," Carlson said.
"To help trans kids, gay people," Sue Borg said of her reason for participating. "They're just treated like they're not humans."
One woman, who did not want to be identified, said "millions of people are suffering because of these actions. And so I want to do something and this is something I can do."
Dina Laskowski said it was important for people to come together as a community to support each other.
"You know, you're looking at social services, you're looking at things that really impact our community. And all communities," she said. "And if we don't start joining hands ... the hands off is hands off change (to) certain policies that are going to affect our community."
She said people are more divisive and should be unified.
"You have differences of opinion, everybody looks at things in different perspectives," she said. "That's the important thing, is that we listen to each other and come to a conclusion that affects not 50% but 80 and 90% of the population."
