Thousands protest Trump, Musk actions at Hands Off! rally in Geneva

Thousands of people lined the sidewalks on both sides of State Street bridge over the Fox River in Geneva, spilling out past Illinois Routes 31 and 25 at both ends, one of the sites of Saturday’s Hands Off! National Day of Action.

Their opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies was made plain by their numbers, their signs and their chants of “Dump Trump!” and “Hey hey! Ho ho! Trump and Musk have got to go!”

Retired teacher Christine Gear of Batavia said she wore the same pink hat she had when she participated in The Women’s March Jan. 21, 2017, in Washington, a worldwide protest the day after Trump’s first inauguration.

Her sign proclaimed a different meaning for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency: Deplorable Oligarchs Grabbing Everything.

“I am here to fight for everybody that can’t fight for themselves,” Gear said. “I’m worried about people that can’t fight and all the things that are being taken away. And they have no idea – no idea.”

Alex Teipel of St. Charles sported a T-shirt proclaiming “Racism and misogyny are injustices to us all.”

“I am here to protest Trump and all his sycophants who enable him,” Teipel said.

Jonathan Jenkins of Wheaton came with his dog, Walter.

“I have a young niece who is going to college in Florida. And in my little world, her rights are taken away,” Jenkins said. “I know it’s a much bigger issue, but that’s where it’s most close to home to me.”

Florida has a near-total abortion ban.

“It is a concern that she is not a 100% safe citizen where she is going,” Jenkins said.

Amid the chanting and the near-constant horn blowing of support, Mary Boyer of Geneva thumped a cadence on a hand drum, accompanied by a friend who jingled a tambourine.

“I don’t want Trump,” Boyer said. “I want him impeached or something done. He’s made a terrible mess of our country. He’s taking away so many jobs from people who didn’t deserve to lose their jobs. What he’s doing with the tariffs is unacceptable.”

Saturday’s rally mirrored the one held March 8 for International Women’s Day, where the theme was also anti-Trump and Musk.

We Can Lead Change Fox Valley hosted the event as part of a national movement in opposition to Trump and Musk and in support of democracy.

Organizer Susan Sanders said about six thousand people attended.

“It was a very peaceful event, it was a joyous crowd with positive responses from the cars driving by,” Sanders said. “U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood, Bill Foster attended and State Sen. Karina Villa and State Rep. Maura Hirschauer. People are very upset. Hands off Medicare. Hands off Social Security – everything that he’s doing.”

Sanders said a group of about two dozen Trump supporters also attended.