Thousands of protesters line Division Street in Spokane, hundreds more protest in Cd’A to rally against Trump, Musk

Thousands of protesters lined Spokane’s North Division Street and hundreds more poured onto the side of U.S. Highway 95 in Coeur d’Alene Saturday to rally against the policies of President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk.

The Spokane protest was the largest in years and built upon weeks of demonstrations by people alarmed and against the layoffs of tens of thousands of federal employees, the attempted shuttering of federal agencies, deportations of undocumented immigrants and, this week, the stock market upheaval following new tariffs.

The protest is part of the “Hands Off!” movement that unfolded in cities large and small across the country.

Spokane police estimated more than 5,000 protesters gathered on both sides of Division Street and spilled into B.A. Clark Park on Division and Garland Avenue. In Coeur d’Alene, several hundred stood on a strip of grass on the east side of the highway near Appleway Avenue, one of the busiest intersections in town.

Both events were peaceful amid nearly constant honking in support of the protesters.

Many of the signs held by people played on the “Hands Off!” theme. They read “Hands Off Education,” “Hands Off Democracy” and “Hands off Social Security,” for examples.

The protesters stretched from Clark Park to the NorthTown Mall on Division and Wellesley Avenue.

Mary Bug-Smith stood on the opposite side of the street of the mall holding a sign that said, “It’s all about values” on one side and “Hands off” accompanied by words like, “Medicaid,” “Healthcare” “Experts” and “Democracy” on the other side of the poster.

Bug-Smith, a social worker from Newport, Washington, said democracy was her top concern, but noted LGBTQ rights, the safety of minorities, Social Security and Medicaid are some of her many other worries.

“Anything that protects the vulnerable, they’re doing away with,” she said.

Bug-Smith attributed the high number of protesters to issues, such as inflation and Social Security, that touch everyone, not just a small group.

“I think it is affecting more people, so more people are starting to see that they need to stand up, too,” she said.

The Department of Government Efficiency cut some of the Social Security Administration workforce and many Americans are worried the program could be privatized.

She said she hopes the protests bring change.

“I hope it makes a difference, that they get enough pushback and enough people standing up that they will start to listen,” Bug-Smith said. “That’s my hope.”

Laurie Fleming, who has lived in Spokane nearly 40 years, shared similar concerns as Bug-Smith. She said she’s worked in low-income jobs most of her life and lives by herself now.

“I’m worried about how I’m going to be able to afford to retire,” she said.

Fleming held two signs. One said, “Social Security works” and the other “Hands off!!!”

Fleming, who said she was shocked by Saturday’s turnout, also expressed concern about immigration and Medicare.

“Let’s get over this hate and work together,” she said.

Some chants could be heard along Spokane’s primary north-south street.

“Love, not hate, makes America great” and “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Trump and Musk have got to go” were two of them. A woman on a megaphone led others with, “Show me what democracy looks like,” to which protesters yelled, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Some protesters held signs decrying Trump and Musk like, “Impeach Trump, deport Musk,” “Stop gutting government services” and “Protect people, not profits.”

A group of Spokane police officers stood watch at the park.

The theme, signs and energy were similar earlier in the day in Coeur d’Alene. Protesters stretched along the highway from Appleway Avenue north to just past Haycraft Avenue, which is over a block.

Besides some negative verbal exchanges between protesters and drivers, both protests appeared to go off without a hitch. A large group of drivers with Trump flags attached to its vehicles repeatedly drove by the Coeur d’Alene protesters.

Police were present for the Coeur d’Alene protest.

Kelsey Betancourt, of Coeur d’Alene, stood close to the highway wearing an “Abortion is healthcare” shirt and held a sign that read, “Country over party” and “Healthcare before billionaires.”

She said she’s worked in health care for nearly 20 years and realizes medical research organizations, some of which have been slashed by Trump, can improve people’s lives.

“I’ve also seen recently in the last few months how the restriction and the belt closing in on those rights for health care has really affected our patients already,” Betancourt said. “And it’s only April, and I don’t want it to get worse.”

She said she wants patients to get the health care they are paying and worked hard for.

“I’m out here kind of just advocating for health care being more important than lining the pockets of people that can get health care no matter what,” she said.

Jim Bartlett, a Vietnam Veteran from Hayden, condemned Trump, calling him a “communist,” “convict” and “conman.”

His sign said, “Save veterans benefits” on one side and “Protect Social Security” on the other.

“I’m a Republican and I’ve never voted for him,” Bartlett said of Trump.

He said he hoped local and state representatives listen to the protesters.

“I doubt they will,” Bartlett said.

Meanwhile, Roger Steinmetz came up with a sign that said, “Tariff-ying,” referring to Trump’s tariffs.

“It is terrifying some of the things that are going on coming from the top of our government, and they’re not what our government is supposed to be about,” Steinmetz said.

Steinmetz, of Coeur d’Alene, said he’s worried about the rights of people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the “unrelenting toxic capitalism” that puts profit over the environment.

“I hope that people can see that there’s a much larger group, even in red states, who are very, very concerned about what’s being done here, and that we need to awaken people to the fact this is how we get change,” Steinmetz said of the protest. “We have to object.”

Gary Edwards, a longtime protester and social worker who lived most of his life in Coeur d’Alene but now lives in Liberty Lake, said he stands against Trump’s desire to end birthright citizenship and, like Steinmetz, worries about the violations of immigrants’ rights.

“Whether they’re documented or not, if they take away their rights, they can take all of our rights away,” Edwards said.

He said people should be treated equally and with respect and dignity, something the Trump administration is not doing, he said.

“I think we should restore morality and ethics back into government,” Edwards said.

Across Washington state, rallies were also scheduled to take place in Bellingham, Bothell, Deming, Edmonds, Ellensburg, Everett, Everson, Friday Harbor, Gig Harbor, Issaquah, Kirkland, Langely, Longview, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Orcas Island, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Pullman, Redmond, Seattle, Shaw Island, Vancouver, Whidbey Island and Yakima.

Hundreds protesting Trump also lined First Avenue in downtown Sandpoint.