HELENA — There was a crowd gathered on the front steps of the Montana State Capitol at noon on Saturday, expressing their opposition to what they called “chaos” coming from the federal government.
More than 1,000 people were in attendance for Helena’s “Hands Off!” protest — one of around 1,400 planned nationwide Saturday, to protest President Donald Trump’s administration, including Elon Musk and his “DOGE” initiative to cut the federal workforce.
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“We stand here today as part of a national mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk takeover of our democracy,” said Dennis Taylor, Helena’s former city manager and a Marine veteran, who spoke at the rally.
Tony Jewett is a volunteer with Helena’s branch of Indivisible, one of the national organizations that’s been involved in setting up these protests across the country. He said the turnout was stronger than they expected.
“That’s an indication of the emotion and frustration and anger that’s in people right now about what's going on in Washington,” he said.
Watch related coverage: Thousands turn out for Missoula's "Hands Off" Rally
Mark Cadwallader, a Helena resident who said he was worried about “slow-moving destruction” of federal institutions, came carrying an American flag.
“Patriotism belongs to, not just the so-called right, but to all Americans, including Democrats and independents,” he said.
Speakers at the event expressed concerns about a wide range of Trump administration actions, from the newly increased federal tariffs to the job cuts at agencies like the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration.
Watch related coverage: Hundreds gather to protest at Hamilton's "Hands Off" Rally
While the rally covered a lot of topics, Jewett said they were all part of an overarching theme.
“Our way of life and our country and our way of government is really directly under threat,” he said. “We're at a pivotal moment right now, and systems are being dismantled left and right. It's a dizzying process, and it's going to be really, really difficult to overcome that, but people have to mobilize, they have to talk to other people to stop what's going on.”
Watch related coverage: Hundreds gather for "Hands Off" protest in Kalispell
