HAMILTON — Hundreds of people gathered in Hamilton on Saturday to protest dozens of actions being taken by the Trump Administration.
“I think we're losing the people who do all the groundwork. And that's a really big thing, and we need to keep our public lands public. And without the people out there doing the groundwork, we're going to get destroyed,” said Anne Marchant, a protester at the Hamilton Hands Off Rally.
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Protesters gathered along Hamilton’s Main Street to speak out against actions the Trump Administration has been taking toward public lands, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, science, and democracy.
“I mean, it's everything from the environment to education, public health. Every facet of our life is in danger,” said Karen Savory, a protester at the Hamilton Hands Off Rally.
“We've laid off a whole bunch of Forest Service workers, I happen to be one, and that is going, a lot of public lands, the parks are closing, parts of our national parks are closing down due to lack of staff. Because of taking about our public lands,” said former U.S. Forest Service employee Nancy Spagnoli.
Watch related coverage: Thousands turn out for Missoula's "Hands Off" Rally
Protesters marched to a church after spending an hour along Main Street, where roughly 150 people gathered to listen to speakers talk about the Trump Administration's various actions and how they view them as detrimental to the country.
“They're doing all those things we want people to be able to do, and we need to make sure that those resources are still available, and the way things are going, they're not going to be. So we need to put a stop to it,” said one speaker who is a former Navy veteran.
“It's not something that can be fixed in the next administration. It will take decades or more likely. America will never again have the scientific preeminence we enjoy right now. Life-saving innovations will no longer come from America. They will come from China or Europe or our friends to the north of Canada, or they may not come at all,” said former Rocky Mountain Laboratories employee Kim Hasenkrug who spoke at the rally.
Watch related coverage: Hundreds gather for "Hands Off" protest in Kalispell
