Easy Sunday: Signs of spring in protests in Medford, Oregon
Easy Sunday:
Americans are experiencing shock and awe.
Candidate Donald Trump promised to dismantle institutions and traditional norms of presidential power, and he is doing so as president.
Some people like it. Some don't.
People in opposition to Trump, Musk, DOGE, and MAGA turned out at back-to-back demonstrations in Medford on Saturday.
One, organized around the theme of "Hands off" lined Jackson Street along Hawthorne Park to Biddle Road. It started at 10 a.m. It was organized by ORD2 Indivisible and Women's March Southern Oregon. A second demonstration, organized by 50501, started at noon and centered on Vogel Plaza in downtown Medford. I estimate 3,000 people took part.
The MAGA movement has Trump as a single focus and leader. Resistance to Trump is more diffuse, so people opposed to Trump don't see equivalent numbers, energy, and motivation. People at the rallies told me it felt great to see that they were part of something bigger than themselves. There were like-minded people.
A theme of the protests were hand-made signs
From drone footage, we estimated almost 4000 people participated in Medford . . . and much to local Republican politicians' dismay, these were ALL local, unpaid protesters. Everyone gathered with friends and it felt like a huge family reunion of local folks who all care about our democracy. The huge turnout in Medford was impressive, but just as important were the turnouts at smaller cities throughout rural Oregon--1200 in Grants Pass, 350 in Klamath Falls. There were HANDSOFF protests in Pendleton, Baker City, LaGrande and Prineville and even more communities across Oregon's huge Congressional District 2. Republican Representative Clifford Bentz--who represents Oregon District 2 and has been in hiding since receiving pushback and negative comments at his town halls last February in typically "red" counties in Northern Oregon--should be nervous. He's refused to do public town halls in Southern Oregon since Trump took office--and with thousands demonstrating against the Trump administration in Southern Oregon--I doubt he'll show his face in an open public venue anytime soon.
Just need to add that Ashland managed to line the streets from the Plaza to Pioneer, in spite of a very last minute announcement for the rally. It was wonderful as a lot of folks who could not make it to Medford were able to show up... My vote for favorite sign read: "Worst Sequel Ever: