by Will Yurman
Hundreds lined Route 101 on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. The protest, part of a national day of rallies and marches, began at noon. By 2:00 p.m., protestors lined the sidewalks from the Siuslaw River Bridge to the Route 126 intersection.
The protests were organized at the national level by several groups, including Hands Off and 50501.
A handful of Trump supporters stood with their own signs and flags. They said that President Trump is doing exactly what he promised to do during his campaign and they fully support the cuts and tariffs the administration has implemented.
The protest and small counterprotest were peaceful, marked primarily by the sounds of car horns. The beeps were agnostic – honked loudly for both sides of the debate. The occasional intentional slow walker across 101 backed up traffic briefly, as did the circling of cars and motorcycles with large Trump flags.
Signs ranged from the simple, “Oust Oligarchy” to the detailed policy suggestions of a political advisor, “Hands off our Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, USPS, Veterans, HHS, USAID, NOAA, FEMA, Judges, DEI, AP, Our Privacy, National Parks and Immigrants.”
And of course, “Hands off Penguins.”
The Trump administration imposed tariffs on the Heard Island and McDonald Islands. Islands that are home to penguins but no people.
As a citizen of Florence, I’m embarrassed by the ignorance of the “progressives” in my town! This kind of behavior only serves to prove how many people clearly are too stupid to understand the complexity of what Trump and Musk are trying to do, which will only benefit every American, even these morons!
šš»šš»
Clearly you don’t need to keep the Social Security you are paying into to help you in your last years. Clearly you would rather go back to losing your savings and/or home to pay medical bills when you have an emergency. Clearly you won’t mind becoming homeless. You go ahead and lose SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. I’m going to fight to keep it. Didn’t Jesus say, “As you do unto them you do unto me.” ??? Look how Trump and Musk have no kindness towards people or God!
Please, I would love to hear your explanation of the complexities of whatever it is that you think the co-presidents are trying to do. Seriously, I am genuinely interested. Elaborate, please!
Please explain the complexity of what Trump and Musk are trying to do. Trump promised the stock market would soar; prices would come down; he would hire people on merit. How’s that working out? Can you explain to me the firing of non-partisan, skilled officials based on the opinion of a right wing, 911 denier? What about Trump and his pardons of January 6 offenders. Give me a break.
I totally agree. They believe the liberal media’s lies, and protest thinking it helps anything.
I am embarrassed by every tRump supporter.
Will, Thanks for the article and great photos!
I am proud of these people good for you all !!!
Yesterday was an accurate baromter of public sentiment. Protesters included numerous retirees, as well as those quite a bit younger than myself, even dogs protesting Doge. I was present at City Hall for nearly three hours and am wondering why the handful of Trump supports and the very few Trump waving trucks are given nearly equal weight in your reporting. A balanced report would have featured 25 photos of the hundreds protesting to every one photo of tRump supporters. If space is an issue mentioning them but not including a photo would have been balanced coverage.
I also disagree with your assessment that horn honking as agnostic. Hundreds of vechiles not only honked to show their support they waved, pumped their fists in solidarity and flashed peace signs. I heard less than a handful of Trump supporters- distinguished by their cursing.
Balanced reporting does not mean equal time.
Hi Louise,
Thanks very much for taking the time to read the article and write such a thoughtful comment. I’ll offer a couple of responses, if I may. I agree that balanced reporting is not the same as equal time or equivalence. I don’t think that’s what I did in this article.
When I look at the seven photos I posted, I only see one that shows supporters of President Trump, and that photo puts their numbers in context. Three Trump supporters (I counted five or six total, there may have been a few more) against a backdrop of hundreds of those protesting against his policies. The remaining photos all show protestors against the administration’s policies.
The text mentions hundreds of anti-administration protestors and a handful of pro-protestors – that feels accurate to me.
My comment about the honking was not about the quantity, but about the sound. Honking horns sound the same, whatever your politics. But you have a point that I wasn’t as clear as I could have been about that.
I believe protests need to be taken in context. Millions of Americans support President Trump and his policies. Millions don’t. Saturday’s protest was a significant response from those who disagree with what he is doing. But it doesn’t change the fact that our country is divided on these issues. The story tries to reflect that, while also reporting on the fact of the day – hundreds turned out in Florence alone to voice their opposition to administration policy.
Thank you again for taking the time to write. If you (or anyone) ever want to meet in person over a cup of coffee to talk more about this, please let me know.
-Will
I agree that a honking car can be ambiguous. But to us standing on the sidewalk, we can tell the difference between a thumbs up and a middle finger.
Will, Thanks so much for the great coverage (including wonderful photos) of the Florence Hands Off protest.