Islanders were fired up April 5 at the Hands Off protest. Well over 500, some estimates as high as 800, gathered at the courthouse lawn at noon, holding signs telling the Trump Administration to keep hands off Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, education, libraries and parks. Signs slammed President Trump, Elon Musk, oligarchies and called everyone into action to save democracy.

“Today I did not come here as mayor. I do not come as a Republican or a Democrat, liberal or a MAGA man,” Ray Jackson told the crowd. “We are all in this battle together. There was a time when some of you may have let things go on the way they were. Maybe you thought whatever was happening in Washington wasn’t going to affect you, and if it did it wasn’t that bad. But I guess you now realize that when you’re asleep at the wheel, the car is bound to crash.”

Jackson went on to talk about being a three-time veteran, witnessing veterans being under attack by recent policies. The current administration has cut 80,000 Veteran Affairs employees, making it more difficult for veterans in need to access benefits and resources. According to an article in PBS, “Five reasons federal cuts are hitting veterans especially hard,” (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/5-reasons-federal-cuts-are-hitting-veterans-especially-hard).

The article states “Due to this veterans preference, a program started in 1944, nearly 30% of federal workers are veterans, half of whome are disabled. This means that veterans, who make up 6.1% of the U.S. population, are disproportionately affected by federal worker cuts.

One estimate is that of the 38,000 federal employees fired in the first five weeks of the Trump administration, 6,000 are veterans.”

Jackson also listed a plethora of other threats by the administration, saying, “Our seniors are being attacked, being told they can’t have their social security, their God-given right, that they earned and deserved. [People] are wondering if their vote counts, who you can sleep with, who you can marry, who can dictate how you can do things religiously.”

Jackson closed with, “The time has come to no longer be reactive. Become proactive. You have the power as an individual with your vote to make change. That’s how this country was founded, by individuals who did not tolerate tyranny ….We have to make change before it becomes unchangeable. The attack is on our liberties, on our judicial system, on our financial system. I’m calling all soldiers, anyone who is an American citizen, to use your voice as a weapon to change what is happening.”

Spring Street student Althena Moore spoke next. Moore urged attendees not to get caught up in the chaos and confusion strown by Trump and Musk, but to keep centered in facts and understand the Constitution.

“Our Democracy is in danger of becoming illegitimate,” she said. “These executive orders are not meant to put anything in place. Rather, they were meant to overwhelm the system with misinformation and distracting policy and see what gets through. “

Moore mentioned fascism as a threat to democracy and urged people to fight fascism with love. “Find a way to understand every person around you. Find a way to love your neighbors. Find a love that can extend ..to all beliefs, religions different than yours, political opinions different than yours, sexualities, races, genders different than yours,” she said. “Perhaps the hardest thing to do right now is to understand Trump and Musk supporters.”

Moore encouraged the crowd to try anyway.

Members of the French family, an original Indigenous family of San Juan Island, spoke next.

“ Indigenous people are suffering again too,” Rebbecca French told the crowd. “We are losing the ability to see doctors, to have clean water, to fish and hunt in our usual custom that was our treaty…Right now, with our government, your treaties are being broken too, your treaties and your abilities; your funding, your income, your social security, your veterans benefits, access to veterans care, all that is being threatened.”

Now is not the time for crying, she continued, “Now is the time to see what is in your cupboard, Take care of what you have. You may not be able to spend so much anymore, so let’s share, let’s get to know each other. Let’s find out how to keep each other well.”

She closed with a quote from Wilma Mankiller, “Never, never give up.”

Josiah French spoke next, addressing the crowd first in his indigenous language. “Our language remembers this place and what it really is. We are here today because we see it is happening again. Trump came into office swinging and signing executive orders making backroom deals laying the groundwork to erase indigenous voices from the conversation completely. It’s happening fast and. most people are not paying attention.”

That’s how it always happens Josiah continued, “It starts with pipelines and emergency declarations, with cuts to education, health care, climate research. It starts with beaurocrats saying ‘This doesn’t concern you. we already consulted the tribes.’ It starts with locals in small towns like this shrugging their shoulders and saying well, that’s just politics. It isn’t just politics to us. It’s our land, it’s our future, it’s our treaty rights.”

Josiah noted also that many locals benefit from staying quiet, that they pretend they care until it costs them comfort, convenience or control.

“We got recognized again as the rightful successors to the north and south Saanich treaties that indcludes this part of this island. But how many of our local leaders even know what that means?” Josiah said. “Let’s be clear, we’re not here to make anyone feel guilty, I promise. We are here to warn you this country is sliding backwards. Trump is accelerating it and if you think it will stop with us, you’re wrong.”

He closed by saying “Some of those watching quietly on the sidelines, especially in this town, this place that we love, you don’t get to say ‘this isn’t my fight’ if you live on stolen land and benefit from [those] systems [created] to exclude us. It’s already your fight. You’re in it whether you act or not. So act. Stand up, speak up, break with comfort. Stop serving the system that is trying to erase us again, because we are still here. We are not going anywhere.”

County Council chair Kari McVeigh spoke next, clarifying that she was not there as a council member, but was speaking for herself.

“I hear people all the time say we can not change how those people think. and I’m here to tell you chances are we can’t… Let them think the way they think, but let us respond in our truth to power,’ McVeigh began. “Let them think that the only history in this country is history that reflects white Anglo-Saxon Protestant men. Let them think it. BUt let us remind them that this county was built on the back and lives of our indigenous people. It was built on the backs and the lives of our enslaved people. It was built on the lives and the backs of immigrants. That’s the truth. Remember to say that.”

She continued saying “Let them think that their religious view about a woman’s body should dictate to everybody their view. Let them think that. But let us stand in the truth of multiple religious values and say a woman’s body is sacred and not up to other people’s interpretation.”

Let them think that it’s okay for children of color, kids of poverty LGBTQ kids, kids who have disabilities, aren’t entitled to a wonderful free education, McVeigh added, “But let’s fight for educational monies that will ensure all children are aboel to step up to the table and learn to the maximum amount of their capacity.”

Let them think it’s ok for oligarchies in the country, the Trumps, the Musks, the Bezos, the Zuckerbergs to get beyond wealth that any one individual human being should have, she said, “But let us remember the power of our pocketbooks is greater than there thoughts. Let’s go out and stop buying from Amazon, stop buying from Target, stop becoming a part of FaceBook.”

McVeigh closed by saying “Let’ those people who want to continue this fascist regime, this Trump regime, let them think what they want. but let’s not be silenced. Let us speak our truth. And as the incredible civil rights leader and huge American patriot said, ‘Let’s go out and make good trouble.

Singer-songwriter Trinity Althoff stepped up with her guitar to play some beautiful and pertinent music to the crowd. The first song focused on Palestine.

“I pray for peace, I pray for peace I pray we’ll meet beside the olive tree and speak. I pray the dove will spread its wings spreading truth and beauty and love to all people and all things,” She sang, moving many in the crowd to tears.

David Robison approached the microphone next, telling the crowd how in 2004, he had to marry his husband in Canada because it was not yet legal in the U.S. “As a patriot, and a descendant of patriots, that hurt,” he told attendees. “Thankfully, due to the actions of people like us here today, and other allies, including the U.S. Supreme Court, we made progress. And, in 2016 the U.S. finally recognized that love is love and commitment is commitment. This change also meant that trans, intersex and nonbinary people could marry the people they love. This has been a boon to those people, and it’s been a boon to all of us.”

Today, Robison continued, “We’re seeing significant attacks by the current administration on the rights and basic humanity of our trans, intersex and nonbinary compatriots as well as the whole concept of diversity, equity and inclusion which are just three words that really mean empathy.”

He closed by challenging the crowd to commit to being allies to the queer community, to which the crowd loudly affirmed. “

“Okay, did that hurt?” He responded back to the hundreds gathered, “Did that feel good?” And when attendees again affirmed, he said “That’s right, because empathy is not a zero-sum game.”

After some more music, the crowd began to march heading down Second Street, down Spring Street to Joe’s T-shirt Shack, up to Wells Fargo and back to the Courthouse.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Guy Fawkes made an appearance.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Dogs were allowed, and busy using their noses.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Ray Jackson, speaking not as the mayor but a concerned citizen.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Attendees.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo One of the Hands Off signs.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo One of the Hands Off signs.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Tribal members spoke on their history and current concerns.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Hundreds of people attended. Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Hundreds of people attended.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Trinity Althoff brought down the house with her music.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More attendees with signs.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo Hands off

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

Heather Spaulding \ Staff photo More signage.

contributed photo by Chase Anderson Trinity Althoff brought down the house.

contributed photo by Chase Anderson An estimated 600-800 people gathered around the Courthouse.

contributed photo by Chase Anderson Hundreds of islanders marched up Spring Street.

Contributed photo by Chase Anderson A few of the signs from “Hands Off.”