A huge crowd gathered in Anchorage to protest the Trump administration Saturday.
They started in Town Square and marched six blocks to demonstrate outside Peterson Tower, where Alaska’s U.S. senators have offices.
Marchers held signs objecting to, among other things, how President Trump is firing federal workers, treating migrants and demolishing civil rights programs.
A few held signs aimed at U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich, asking them to “stand up for Democracy” and the like. Sullivan and Begich rarely criticize Trump while Sen. Murkowski often does.
Kevin Voss said this was his first protest.
he said. “My wife has been much more of an activist, but I certainly felt like it's probably about time that I got off the couch and communicated my own discontent, my own way.”
Voss is a teacher at a Title 1 school, meaning it receives more federal money because many students there are disadvantaged. He held a carboard sign.
“The one side says, ‘Keep your very tiny hands off education.’ The other side says ‘I’m not a sign guy but geez.’”
“I think our Social Security needs to be protected, and our Medicare,” Anchorage hospital worker Jane Peltola said. “And what DOGE is doing is just not right.”
Librarian Mike Robinson had doubts about the effectiveness of marching and almost didn’t show up.
“It just seems like the threat is higher than the response of protests,” he said. “But protest is a good way to get people connected, make them not feel like they’re alone, see other people, and have voices heard.”
The number of marchers was hard to judge but organizers said more than a thousand people filled out an online RSVP form and participants said the crowd seemed larger than that.
