Bozeman protest

[Straight Arrow]

I know what I saw and heard.

Disrespect only exceeded by visual impairment and hearing loss.

 

[MTGomer]

Maybe 150million people not paying taxes would be more profound to get the attention of our representatives

That’s a good idea. I wish I would have thought of that before Friday morning.
Between the market and taxes it’s been a week

 

[406dn]

After our grandson's soccer game in Billings, my wife and I went to the protest rally in Billings. My expectations were that there might be a 100 or so protesters. There were many more than that maybe 700 to 1000. Many signs about many things. Mine was Canada is our friend.

The demeanor was largely upbeat. There were lots of honking vehicles going past, with passenger waving thumbs up. While anger and frustration was the motivation to get there, I did not see anyone acting out in anger.

Given the last large protest rally from the other side of the aisle, ended up with a thorough trashing of the nation's capitol, this one was well behaved.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

"Hands Off!" refers to protests against a vast array of recent defundings, firings, and weakening of many valued programs, services and institutions ... all done with a dictatorial heavy-fisted hand widely considered to be contrary to the US Constitution's democratic processes.

I attended the rally centered at the Gallatin County Courthouse and spreading with folks on both sides of Main Street in Bozeman. My wife was there with a sign showing support for the Ukrainian people. I was there as one major theme was protection of public lands and another was in support of the VA and Veterans. There were literally hundreds of signs protesting more of the recent DOGE actions, Whitehouse orders, and weakening of America than can be enumerated here. It was not one theme or one issue, but hundreds of protests and thousands of politely pissed off protesters.

Another HT guy and I spent much of the time discussing The Crazies Mtns, corner crossing, and public lands.

The impressive perspective was that it was not just old fart folks and Veterans protesting ... it was people of every stripe, every age group, every imaginable social group, and particular gripe. So don't belittle such a publicly exposing effort as a naysayer, because likely something about recent news which concerns you was likely represented at this rally.

Best reply in this thread thus far. The issues that were protested affect all of us, not just one age group and the quicker you understand that the better.

 

[Djfan]

I have to commend the people here for allowing disagreement. On other forums, if you didn't like the idea of these guys protesting anything Trump, you were anti-first amendment. The first amendment allows for peaceful protest, and openly disagreeing with those protesters. That's America. Even if one event was funded and equipped by unknown anti-Trump folks.

 

[Bonasababy]

This counter protester from the heartland checks a lot of boxes.

'Merica!

 

[BuzzH]

I have to commend the people here for allowing disagreement. On other forums, if you didn't like the idea of these guys protesting anything Trump, you were anti-first amendment. The first amendment allows for peaceful protest, and openly disagreeing with those protesters. That's America. Even if one event was funded and equipped by unknown anti-Trump folks.

Where's my check?

I was there representing Federal Land Management Employees, Federal Unions, and Public lands, who paid me to be there?

 

[elkduds]

We won't preserve public lands by excluding people who will march to defend them. PLT is a very hot button where I live. I do my utmost to keep it that way. Plenty of Defend Public Lands signs among the 300 who showed up in little red Canon City CO, including mine.

 

[BuzzH]

We won't preserve public lands by excluding people who will march to defend them. PLT is a very hot button where I live. I do my utmost to keep it that way. Plenty of Defend Public Lands signs among the 300 who showed up in little red Canon City CO, including mine.

Same here, and like others have said, it was good to see old, young, middle aged people all carrying public lands signs. Was most impressed with the amount of people younger than me that seem to take exception to their public lands being sold off.

 

[Wildabeest]

Mrs. Fin and I had a tourist day in DC, yesterday. We come out of the Library of Congress Jefferson Library and see the flow of traffic headed somewhere, with us oblivious to what was planned for the day. Seeing how far it was to the Natural History Museum, I figure an Uber was the better option to get there.

Jump in the Uber and it’s taking forever. Eventually I ask the guy to just drop us off and we’ll walk from here.

Now, everyone is carrying signs and they obviously are here for a purpose. I look ahead and it’s a mosh pit.

One dude is on a corner with a sign protesting circumcision. Seriously. I didn’t know that was a public policy issue.

I’m starting to feel like a Forrest Gump scene is unfolding. I look at Mrs. Fin. I can tell this is not on her Bingo card for this trip.

I see a lady carrying a sign (should have taken a pic) “Enough of this DOGE Shit,” with a dog taking a dump. I don’t care who you are, that one was funny.

I ask a guy what’s going on. He looks at me like, “Why you here if you don’t know what you’re here for?” Seeing my ignorance he tells me it’s something about “Hands off.”

Now I’m processing this, confused, recalling some dude, or at least it seemed like a dude, worried about his foreskin, another dude has a sign about “Hands off,” and a lady upset about DOGE shit.

I tell Mrs. Fin we can visit the Natural History Museum when we return in July. She needs no encouragement or incentive to agree with the audible. We hang a right and head north, swimming across the current of people headed to either Lincoln Memorial or Washington Monument. Being “signless,” most folks see us wanting out and give passage between.

We end up at an amazing restaurant called “Succotash” where others seem to be taking refuge and recollecting their thoughts. Situation avoided. Barely.

On the Uber ride back to the hotel, I asked the driver what was going on down there. He explained it to me. Full on “Bumpkins ‘R Us” mode.

Was interesting to see how many folks were headed that way. Did see a few public land signs, even in urban DC. Good to see that many citizens engaged in “peaceful assembly,” no matter their cause.

Glad to be at the airport and headed home. Regrettably without a pic of the DOGE shit sign.

My daughter ran a 10 mile race in DC this morning. Someone cheering the runners on had this sign.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Having folks of all political affiliation spreading the message that selling public lands is unacceptable policy is a good thing. Why any outdoors person would disparage that message regardless of agreement or disagreement with the person saying it on other issues is beyond me?

 

[Tradewind]

Singing songs and they’re carrying signs….
Mostly say hooray for our side

-Stephen Stills 1966

 

[Tradewind]

There were all kinds of signs saying" hands off our public lands" at the protest in my state.

Over 6000 at our state capitol, a thousand in Rochester, a thousand in Bemidji, two thousand in Duluth...

lotta cross currents on this one. But the batshit contingent was well represented at your capitol.

 

[RandanP]

I suspect that there will be a lot more people in the streets this summer as we really start to feel the pain of these destructive tariffs.

 

[jimh406]

We can't cut the government because they never do anything wrong. Same people. We can't trust the government to do the right thing with public lands because they will get it wrong.

The details matter.

 

[BuzzH]

lotta cross currents on this one. But the batshit contingent was well represented at your capitol.

Oh yeah? Did the MAGA crowd show up?

 

[Bonasababy]

Oh yeah? Did the MAGA crowd show up?

I suspect had they done so they might have been a bit intimidated. View looking out from the capitol.

 

[shoots-straight]

Oh yeah? Did the MAGA crowd show up?

So at the speaking event we had two MAGA's show up. Literally engaged people all the while caring full side arms and Bowie knives. Not sure how many firing brain cells were at play, but would venture a guess that it would be less than that of a Chicken.

BTW, unless you've not been paying attention, this is far more involved than just cuts to Government. This is the very dismantling of our Democracy. Trump has no intention of ever leaving office at the end of his term.

The attack on the Judicial branch to weaken it is also anti constitutional.

This isn't a blind push for power, it's a coordinated attack on our constitution using project 2025 and money from Oligarchs cofferrs . He's over 30% of the way through the programs implementation.

It's far from over.

 

[Labman]

It's far from over.

Good.

 

[rjthehunter]

Genuine question for the marchers on here, how do yall figure out you're supposed to be making signs and protesting? Is it a reddit thing? Or a group chat of sorts?

I'm usually pretty busy on the weekends, I found out about this when I drove through town and the streets were lined with angry old people.