The Hilo rally for the “Hands Off!” nationwide day of protest on Saturday saw over 1,000 people turn out to protest the Trump administration.
People with signs gathered at the Ross Dress For Less on Kanoelehua Avenue when the protest began at 10 a.m. As the crowd swelled throughout the three hours of the demonstration, it stretched from Makaala Street to Pohaku Street.
The rally, which was organized by Indivisible Hawaii, was attended by two representatives of local government: former mayor Harry Kim and District 2 County Council Member Jenn Kagiwada. Kim said the main thing that caused him to rally against the Trump administration is, “the way they treat people, no compassion.”
“We don’t treat people like that. I’m proud of the way America was, and I hope we get back to it,” Kim said as he held his sign that read “Imua Kakou” (move forward together).
Hilo County Council Member Kagiwada represented a multitude of causes with a hat reading “Bans off our Bodies,” a shirt from the Hilo Women’s March, and a sign that read “Hands Off Our Civil Liberties” while also handing out flyers for immigrants about knowing their rights.
“I feel like people are so concerned, frustrated, and worried. This gives people the chance to see they’re not alone,” Kagiwada said about the large turnout to the rally.
Kagiwada’s spouse, Geoff Bower, wore a shirt representing the National Parks Service, which he called “the most political shirt I own.”
“This is what America should do: take care of beautiful places and serve the public, and that’s what we want to see our government do for us,” Bower said.
Two tourists from Michigan, married couple Mike and Jenifer Bourcier, incorporated the rally into their visit to Hilo because “we could’t miss it,” they said of the national day of action.
“Our democracy is really at threat right now. I’m afraid we’re sliding into fascism,” Jenifer Bourcier said. “This gives me so much hope to see all these people here. This is so awesome.”
A familiar face at anti-Trump protests in Hilo, Ariel Murphy, was once again present on Kanoelehua Avenue on Saturday, and she said the size of the crowd showed an increased level of awareness in the community.
“More and more people are realizing how everything (Trump officials) do has been impacting our daily life,” Murphy said. “We stand to become poorer, we are looking at higher prices in the grocery stores … why are we being punished? Why not punish the rich for not paying taxes?”
Signs following the “Hands Off” theme supported agencies facing cuts like Medicaid and Social Security as well as institutions like libraries, voting rights, and free speech.
Other “Hands Off” signs represented targeted groups or areas where citizens feel violated, such as “Our Data,” “People with Valid Visas,” and “My Trans Friends.”
One person who was drawn to the rally in support of Medicare and Medicaid was Sally Daughtrey, who co-owns the Mountain Apple Clinic and Vitality Integrative Medicine in Pahoa serving low-income patients reliant on social healthcare support. Daughtrey said her clinics began losing federal funding the day after the election in November. She said her staff had to take an immediate pay cut of 50%, and she worries about the ability for medical centers in greater need of federal funding than her own to stay open.
“We don’t know if it’s going to get worse. We have no security for our patients or our staff at all, so it’s pretty terrifying,” she said. “We’re in a unique position because we serve low-income people. We have kept our overhead as low as possible. Our expenses are our staff, but other clinics that have MRI machines and mammogram machines (are) making payments on that equipment, and that doesn’t stop. We have about a year or two (before we’d face closure), but for those clinics it’s six months, nine months.”
Some signs that strayed from the “Hands Off!” theme read “Diversity Is Not Illegal,” “Laws Apply To POTUS,” and “All My Outrage Won’t Fit On This Sign.”
“Outside of the immediate concerns, we have to think of our kids’ and our grandkids’ future because they’re wrecking the ecosystem and dismantling all protections,” said Layne Yoshida, whose sign read, “Think, Before It’s Illegal.”
Another sign simply stated, “I Need to Be Able to Tell My Children I Did Not Stay Silent,” and several participants chose to include their children in the historic day of action by bringing them to the protest.
“I chose to bring my kids out today because I think it’s really important for them to see how many people are gathered together against this type of thing and how to make a real change in America. I’m happy we live in a place where we can (bring our kids) safely”, said Leilani Lopez as she rallied alongside sons Riggs, 8, Baelen, 6, and Atreyu, 3, who held a sign that read “This is a Moral Moment!”
The demonstration was meant to be a silent protest, but the unending barrage of supportive honks throughout the rally fit with the occasional cheers and cow bells. A few passers-by in vehicles yelled profanities and pro-Trump sentiments at the demonstrators over the course of the protest.
The only visible pro-Trump representation was one man walking the stretch of the rally with a sheet of printer paper that had “MAGA” written on one side and “TRUMP 2028” on the other. He replied to rally members urging no engagement by asking if the participants were “on drugs” and yelling for “no castration of babies.” The lone Trump supporter declined an invitation to comment for this article by telling the reporter, “Go back to your wine, Clara.”
Another person who chose not to stay quiet at protest was Gary Rosenberg, who brought his guitar and regaled the crowd by singing such classic protest music as Bob Dylan’s “The Times Are A-Changing.”
“We’re at a crossroads right now where we have the technology and capacity to really introduce an economics of abundance for the whole world,” Rosenberg said. “The concentration of wealth in private hands gives these people the opportunity to leave a legacy and do something great with their money. In the past, rich people would be connected to the community through their money — they’d build a church or a library. It shouldn’t separate you.”
Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
