Northland rallies oppose Trump administration

SUPERIOR — Hundreds of people lined both sides of Belknap Street near the Douglas County Courthouse carrying signs and joining chants in protest of the Trump administration’s actions.

It was just one of the events taking place Saturday, April 5, across the Northland and the United States. Similar Hands Off! mass mobilizations took place in Chisholm, Cloquet, Duluth, Ely, Grand Marais and Grand Rapids in Minnesota.

The nationwide mobilization was organized to stop what the Hands Off 2025 website called “the most brazen power grab in modern history.”

“This is all very important to me,” said Mary Smith-Johnson of Superior, one of the organizers of the demonstration in Superior. “I’m a retired special education teacher. I’m union. I’m a grandparent. I’m going to start receiving Social Security, health care. And I’ve felt like in northern Wisconsin we’ve been very quiet, and we needed to do something.”

There was nothing quiet Saturday as chants rose from the crowd such as “This is what democracy looks like.”

Horns blared as passing motorists blasted support for justice and democracy at the behest of signs held by protesters at both ends of the rally.

Organizers estimated about 600 people turned out in Superior.

Concern about the potential of losing the nation’s democracy and the rights the people have had their entire lives inspired Rachel Warner of Superior to attend the mass mobilization in Superior.

Warner cited climate change, women’s rights, reproductive rights, the cancellation of the U.S. Agency for International Development, destruction of relationships with NATO partners, the economic consequences of tariffs and the instability they create, threats to public education if the Department of Education is eliminated as just some of the concerns she has with the Trump administration.

“I don’t know how we’ll fund special education, IEPs and things like that,” Warner said. “We can’t just roll that onto Superior; Superior can’t afford that.”

Denise McDonald of Superior was out to protect people’s rights, particularly for the elderly. She said protecting Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid are important to her.

“My mom’s in a nursing home,” McDonald said. “So, yeah, I definitely don’t want to lose that because she gets help.”

McDonald said while her mother pays for a portion of her care, Medicaid helps fill the gap.

“I just think it’s important for people who feel strongly to do what they can and to object to all of the cutbacks that are changing our quality of life …,” said Pat Murphy of Herbster. “I voted, and I did not vote for this. I think a lot of people feel the same way, and it’s gotten worse every day.”

Murphy said rallies like the Hands Off! mass mobilization offer community togetherness that makes people feel less fragile and hopeless in an impossible situation.

“There’s so many angles; it’s affecting so many people,” said Brenda Goetz of Port Wing. She said veterans, the park service, even the federal lands that have been protected for years are being affected by the decisions being made by the Trump administration.

“I’m a postal service employee, and I’m afraid they’re coming after the United States Postal Service and that’s going to be taken away from the American people as a service and turned it into a business,” Goetz said. “The prices will go up and the quality of service will go down, and probably my union will go away.”

For Tom Wilson of Eau Claire, the Hands Off! event in Superior was his second one Saturday. Wilson said he also attended the mobilization in Duluth, which he said drew about 2,500 people with only one heckler in the crowd.

“I’ve been political all my life,” said Wilson, who will turn 80 next month. Going back to the early 1960s, Wilson said he’s been involved in protests for civil rights, against war, and for the environment, and as critical as those issues were, this moment feels even more critical.

“If you read the Declaration of Independence, almost any one of our grievances against King George equally apply to Donald 2.0,” Wilson said “That’s it. The very truly founding principles of our country are at risk at this point.”

This story was updated at 8:44 a.m. Monday with an updated Superior crowd count estimate provided by organizers  It was originally posted at 5:47 p.m. Saturday.