Thousands in Napa County joined nationwide ‘Hands Off’ demonstrations
Napa County took part in the April 5 nation-wide “Hands-Off” protests against Trump administration policies with gatherings in Napa, Yountville and Calistoga.
Napa
In Napa, more than 1,000 people packed both sides of Third Street by the courthouse, carrying signs, ringing bells, waving to passing cars and listening to speakers, who included U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson.
“This works,” Thompson told the crowd. “We’re fired up. We ready to go.”
Thompson recalled the late John Lewis, a U.S. representative and civil rights activist who led a 1965 Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge when state troopers and police attacked Lewis and the other marchers in an incident that became known as Bloody Sunday. “John Lewis told me ‘I almost died on that bridge so that everyone could have the right to vote.’” Thompson said. “That’s what did it. Rallies just like this across the United States of America did it.
“It was rallies just like this across the United States of America that got my ass back from Vietnam,” Thompson, a veteran of the U.S. army, added.
Protestors were all ages, from white-haired seniors to children with their parents. Their signs covered a plethora of issues, from mass firings and deportations to the Signalgate scandal: “Hands off our pursuit of happiness.” “Musk is the immigrant who took our jobs.” “Russia owns Trump.” “Get the Signal! Leave government.” “Disappointed that the egg prices he lowered were our nest eggs.”
One small girl dressed in a pink fairy costume, carried a sign that read “Vote for hope, not hate.”
Yountville
With a demonstration organized by residents of the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, more than a hundred protestors gathered at the town’s Veterans Memorial Park beginning in the early afternoon.
Pathways to the park welcomed attendees with red sandwich-board style signs reminding citizens of the preamble of the United States Constitution, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Signs throughout the crowd bore messages such as, “Hands Off,” “Stop Felonious Musk,” “Hands of my Healthcare, Freedoms, Education,” “Hands Off Our Social Security, Veterans & Human Rights,” and “When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty,” “Save Our Due Process,” and “Don’t Trust Trump.”
The program began with a recording of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the Pledge of Allegiance, and then a moment of silence accompanied by a live horn rendition of Taps in remembrance of fallen veterans.
Congressman Mike Thompson said, “This is incredibly important and something that is taking place across the country,” mentioning that he had already attended rallies that day in Sonoma and Napa and would soon head to Santa Rosa. “This is every place, not just in blue states, but in red states, in red congressional districts across the country, because people are fed up.”
“You could refer to these as ‘unity rallies’ because of all of the people who have been unified,” because of mean, evil and stupid actions coming out of the current presidential administration.
“Hands off our social security, hands off our most personal financial data, hands off our most private medical data, hands off our 401Ks, hands off women’s reproductive rights, hands off Medicaid funding,” Thompson encouraged to cheers from the crowd.
Referencing the vast cuts proposed for Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance space, pay as you go space and veteran health care, “Hands off the security that we’ve been able to establish for veterans in this great country. Veterans, men and women veterans, put their life on the line for our country. And we’ve been working hard to make sure that we provide the health care that they not need, not deserve, the health care they’ve earned.”
This is an important step, this is taking it to the streets, this is making sure our voices are head, this is turning up the heat Thompson said, “This is what works, when the people rise up, and the people let their elected officials know what they want, and in this case know what they don’t want, and know what they won’t stand for, and that’s what you’re doing.”
“Don’t stop, keep it going, let’s make sure we return sanity to the White House, to the Congress and to our great United States of America,” he concluded as the protestors applauded.
Yountville Town Council member Pam Reeves said, “The veterans are asking for us to operate with them, to make sure that all of our rights are upheld… being part of the change is important.”
Comments by Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell later followed. “A huge reason that it’s important to gather right here in Yountville is because of the wonderful connection that this community has with the Yountville Vets Home, so to speak loudly about the importance of veterans benefits and everything that we need to do to support our veterans in this moment” she said before referencing the huge cuts to federal grants from FEMA for wildfire protection.
Calistoga
Further north, more than 300 protestors gathered at Calistoga’s Pioneer Park, where organizers read a statement from Rep. Thompson and Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell spoke about some of the funding for nonpartisan programs that the administration has threatened to cut.
“Wildfire prevention and our food banks, those are not partisan issues,” Cottrell said. “And so much work is happening in the community of Calistoga to keep us safe from wildfire and to feed people who are hungry in our communities. So that is two more issues that are on the chopping block today.”
A protester shouted out, “and the library,” to which Cottrell added, “So many things. Those are not one party or another. Those are things that make all of us, as a community, better.”
The group of protesters made their way to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, lining either side of the street, many with signs.
“This is Calistoga; we’re small but mighty.” said Calistogan Laurel Rios who attended the protest with her two young daughters. “It’s honestly hard to choose nowadays what to protest, because the laundry list just keeps getting longer. But for me as a parent, I think it’s the hate and the anguish and the pain that they are causing so many people… It breaks my heart.”
Calistoga resident and UC Davis freshman Sean Birge said he was protesting the Trump administration’s cutting of essential benefits, funding and jobs.
“I just think it’s important for everybody to get out and protest when they see all of the terrible things that are going on in our country,” he said. “It’s important to show up.”
Years ago, Pat Larsen’s friends gifted her a red, Rosie the Riveter bandana when battling cancer and in chemotherapy treatment. On Saturday, she found use for it again, pairing it with her blue button-up to channel the feminist symbol.
“Protesting’s not normally my style, but I just reached the point where, I’m old enough, I can step up,” she said. “I can at least get my face out on the street and say I’m against all of this.”
In addition to fighting for cancer research, Larsen said she was protesting in support of protection of personal data, veterans service, free speech, social security, immigrants, and more. “I’m protesting it all,” she said.
Howard Clair, a longtime Calistogan and Vietnam Veteran, attended the rally to show his support for the Department of Veterans Affairs
“The VA was not doing a good job, and now it’s getting worse, that’s my opinion” Clair said, adding he was glad to see the hundreds of locals protesting. “People need to complain, because it’s not good.”
According to NPR, approximately 1,300 protests took place around the U.S.
