About 1,000 people attend ‘Hands Off!’ rally in Pocatello

POCATELLO – Around 1,000 people gathered together in the Gate City to join others across the nation in protesting actions taken by the executive branch of the federal government.

The Pocatello protest on Saturday, April 5, was a part of a national day of action called “Hands Off!” that saw around 1,200 protests take place in all 50 states, protesting President Donald Trump’s administration. After Pocatello’s protest, around 500 people rallied in Idaho Falls in the late afternoon. KIVI reported that 300 people gathered in Twin Falls and Boise Weekly reported that around 1,500 people rallied in the state’s capital city.

“I want (people) to know that we need to stand up against oligarchy and dictatorship. It’s better to have a democracy where all people have a say and get to vote,” said Elmer Martinez, who organized Pocatello’s protest. “As this President is making a move to become a dictator, we’re going to lose that. We’re going to have power concentrated in the hands of a few and that is not healthy.”

While the local branches of the League of Women Voters and NAACP supported the event, Martinez didn’t organize this protest with any specific local organization. Flyer information about the protest advertised that everyone was welcome to attend, whether they’re Democrats, Republicans or independent.

“Anybody that wanted to come here is welcome. There are many Republicans who have regretted their votes. There are Democrats who voted for Trump, who regretted their votes, and there are independents who did so,” Martinez said. “This is a country first before party event.”

Martinez addressing the crowd. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

People both young and old started the protest by gathering at Caldwell Park. There were many different flags carried by protestors, including the American flag, the Progress Pride Flag, the Palestinian Flag and others.

After hearing from both Martinez and Idaho Democrat Richard Stallings, the protestors marched two blocks from the park to the Bannock County Courthouse. Protestors lined both sides of Center Street and both sides of North 5th Avenue adjacent to the courthouse.

People standing along the Center Street. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com Someone waves a Progress Pride Flag at the rally. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com Protestors on the corner of Center Street and North 5th Avenue. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com Protestors standing along North 5th Avenue. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

The people EastIdahoNews.com spoke to were encouraged to see a broad range of people with varying beliefs all taking a stand against the Trump administration. Democrat Nate Roberts, a former Idaho Representative for District 29, attended the protest and expressed this sentiment.

“There’s a lot of people from all walks of life here, and it’s encouraging to see the size of this crowd out to enact democracy,” Roberts said.

One of the protestors, who introduced herself as Kayla, had only been to one march before this one. While she felt nervous to attend, she was encouraged by seeing the size of the crowd that turned up.

“I think it feels a little scary to resist what’s going on, but there’s a bunch of people that are on the team, and so it is encouraging to see everybody here and supporting each other,” Kayla said.

There was one counter-protester at the rally, who was sitting in a truck along Center Street with a Trump campaign flag displayed. The protestors didn’t bother him. Rather, they stood around his truck displaying their own signs and flags.

Emilee Finch, another protestor at the rally, also felt encouraged by the size of the crowd that had rallied.

“People have a lot more in common than they think. I think a lot of politics can seem toxic on the surface when it’s very focused on teams like just the Republicans versus Democrats, and not what’s best for everybody as a society,” Finch said.

Finch feels that many people might disagree with her “left-leaning” views, but she still felt it was important to rally with people to take a stand against the Trump administration.

“If we don’t do anything, we’re gonna sleepwalk into fascism, and then have to deal with that. And I know enough about history to know I don’t want to have to see people go through that harm,” Finch said.

Protestors leaving Caldwell Park. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

Stallings, who is now 85-years-old, told EastIdahoNews.com that he hopes that some Republicans will see the number of people turning out to protest and “develop a spine” and stand up to the administration.

“We’re at a turning point in our country, and I think it’s just in time, because (if it goes on) much longer, Trump would ruin this whole place, just using a wrecking ball,” Stallings said.

Richard Stallings addressing the crowd. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

When Martinez addressed the crowd at the beginning of the rally, he emphasized that there was work everyone could do after the rally was over to keep its energy going.

“Every one of you has that ability, and that’s what we need you to do. You need to step out of any comfort level levels you have and organize people,” Martinez said.