Protestors gathered in Nome’s Anvil City Square Saturday to take part in the nationwide “Hands Off!” protest. The group of over 40 people held homemade signs and led chants on the snowy ground surrounding the Iditarod’s Burled Arch.
Cars honked as they drove by while protestors held signs drawing attention to changes brought forth by the Trump Administration.
Protestors spoke out in defense of the U.S. Agency for International Development, an agency that delivers humanitarian aid around the world. USAID was recently the subject of a $60 billion cut in foreign assistance.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in a country in Africa or in Asia, those are human beings. Their health is our health,” one protestor exclaimed.
Among the chants was one in support of Senator Lisa Murkowski – one of a handful of Republican legislators that have broken with the Trump Administration on key issues like tariffs.
“Senator Murkowski - we stand with you! From Nome, Alaska,” protestors chanted.
Other protestors called attention to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an agency dedicated to providing services to military veterans. The department is expected to cut over 80,000 jobs, with more than a quarter of its workforce being veterans.
No matter the cause, the protesters' concerns were aimed at one person- President Donald Trump.
“Impeach Trump before he does any further damage, before he continues to blatantly disregard the Constitution of the United States of America,” one protestor said.
Event organizer Roxanne Thurman said she felt overwhelmed by the crowd of over 40 people.
“I thought it was going to be my three girlfriends and myself, and I cried a lot,” Thurman said.
She said her grandchildren inspired her to organize the protest.
“I'm just a grandma, and I can't go and say I did nothing. And I was always the person saying, somebody needs to do something,” Thurman said. “Well, today I'm going to be that somebody and do something.”
Nome resident, Steven Longley, stopped by the event and told protestors, "There's a rebuttal to each one of your signs, if you guys do your research.”
Longley went on to acknowledge Trumps "serious issues", but said he voted for him nonetheless.
“I voted for him twice, or three times now, just because the Democrats did not have somebody I could vote for,” Longley said.
Despite the disagreements - calls for unity rang out too.
“In this moment, we can’t afford to dismiss each other. We need to be welcoming each other,” a protestor said.
Similar protests took place across the state Saturday, including in Anchorage, Bethel, and Juneau. NPR reported that over 1,300 demonstrations were held across the country.
