05-04-2025
‘Hands Off!' rally draws thousands to Minnesota Capitol to protest Trump
Thousands of protestors gather at the Minnesota State Capitol as part of the nationwide 'Hands Off!' protests condemning several actions of the Trump administration Saturday, April 5, 2025. Photos by Nicol Neri/Minnesota Reformer.
Anti-Trump forces gathered around the country Saturday, including thousands at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.
Experienced rally-goers called it the biggest Minnesota demonstration in memory.
'It's just the way we're being treated. I worry about the VA because it's been my doctor my whole life and they're cutting people left and right,' said Lon Michaelson, a veteran. 'We need everybody out here.'
The rally was organized by Women's March Minnesota, the MN 50501 group and Indivisible Twin Cities. An estimated 1,300 'Hands Off!' rallies were held in all 50 states Saturday.
The demonstration drew veterans groups, LGBTQ organizations, teachers, rank-and-file union members, federal employees, advocates for immigrants and thousands more outraged at Trump's legally dubious dismantling of the federal government; steep tariffs on allies and tiny countries alike; musings about displacing the entire population of Gaza; abandonment of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; threats to annex Canada and Greenland; attempted erasure of Black history; and cancellation of important environmental programs and protections.
The timing of the rally was fortuitous, coming the day after a steep drop in the stock market after Trump announced tariffs, raising fears of a worldwide trade war and recession.
Local musicians formed spontaneous ensembles, with bands Unlawful Assembly and Brass Solidarity joining with protestors, surrounded by people dancing.
At the end of the rally, singers led the crowd in a performance of the 'Les Miserables' song 'Do You Hear the People Sing.'
St. Paul mayor Melvin Carter spoke near the end of the rally. He quoted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' Carter added, 'But it does not bend by itself. We must be the benders.'
