Mary Minor worked for years as a hospice nurse, and her husband, James, was a technical writer. Now retired, they did something on Saturday they’ve never done before: organize a protest.

Minor expected at least 700 people to fill Universal Plaza in Tigard, a large success in the sleepy Portland suburb. She was stunned when more than 1,000 people showed up, crowding both sides of Southwest Pacific Highway.

“Does this end anywhere?” Minor asked, looking at the endless stretch of protesters. “Gosh, it’s so many people.”

Thousands of Oregonians on Saturday joined nationwide protests against the second Trump administration, gathering in droves in cities from Portland to Eugene, as well as east of the Cascades from Madras to conservative majority communities like Grants Pass and Baker City.

The protests marked a notable ramp up in visible demonstrations against the current administration, and followed a week of tariff rollouts that rattled financial markets. While Northwest residents have gathered at town halls to question elected officials and held smaller protests outside symbolic venues, such as Tesla dealerships, Trump’s second term to this point had not seen the mass mobilizations that checkered his first term.

That changed on Saturday.

Many protest demands

Several thousands of protesters descended on Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, pouring across Naito Parkway and downtown streets. Others found perches in parking garages and on the sidewalk of the Burnside Bridge, draping messages over the railings.

Some rally-goers carried American flags or donned Statue of Liberty costumes. They toted signs saying “Save Democracy” and “Trump is Tariffying.”

Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who has played a headlining role in slashing federal programs as part of his Department of Government Efficiency initiative, also was a prominent target of the marchers’ ire. Signs referred to him as “FELON” and said “This Musk Stop.”

“As you can see, along with everyone else that’s out here, in general I’m just appalled,” said Vickie Walker, as she used a black marker and a panel of cardboard to make a sign calling Trump a liar. “A lot of us are feeling like we’re not sure where to turn or what to do to make a difference.”

The Portland rally was just one of an estimated 1,300 that spawned across the country, according to organizers. Called the “Hands Off” rallies, gatherings occurred in every major city from Washington D.C. to Seattle to Las Vegas, as well as many towns in rural communities. The progressive group Indivisible and the recently formed 50501 Movement spearheaded events in Oregon.

Saturday’s marches in Portland and elsewhere remained almost entirely peaceful, though a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson said one woman was arrested for allegedly vandalizing a Portland Fire & Rescue vehicle shortly after 2 p.m.

Protests in Portland became infamous during the first Trump administration for property damage, ranging from smashed windows at car dealerships to attempted arson at the Portland police union’s headquarters. Local police and federal officers, too, drew national attention for violent crackdowns on demonstrators.

OPB’s 'Dying for a Fight' podcast examines protests during Trump 1.0

The Portland Police Bureau held a press conference Friday to discuss plans for the protest. Clifford Stott, a British researcher on crowd control, told reporters about his work with the department on de-escalation. He said the effects of more than 100 days of racial justice protests in the city still looms large.

“I think everybody looks back on 2020 with trepidation,” Stott said. “I think we are going to see lots of protests, and we need to make sure that some of the mistakes that were made in 2020 are not made again.”

Protesters who gathered Saturday said they also wanted to avoid those types of clashes. Instead, they want more political bulwarks put in place.

Erika Green, who marched in downtown Portland, said she hoped the huge crowds could continue to energize those opposing Trump, both regular citizens and elected officials. Many Democrats in Congress have been accused of offering a muted response to Trump’s barrage of policies and executive orders.

“I really hope that it makes our Democratic representatives stand up even more,” Green said. “I think they’ve been a bit too quiet, and I would really love to see them stand up like all of these people here are standing up.”

President Trump spent the weekend golfing, sharing a video of himself on the course Sunday, but the White House issued a statement on his behalf Saturday, claiming the protest demands were misguided.

“President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors,” the statement said.

A different look

The weekend gatherings look a little different than those during Trump’s first term. Unlike in 2017 when college students and young people were quick to take their political grievances to the streets, more retirees have taken the reins of protest organizing in 2025. They told OPB that people aren’t united over a single issue, but share a belief that Trump’s policies are disregarding the livelihoods of many Oregonians.

“I did this in the 1960s. I did this in the 1970s. I did this in the 1980s. I’m back again,” said 78-year-old protester Ardy Dunn. “We need to stand up and declare that we won’t allow people to destroy our democracy.”

In Portland’s Sellwood neighborhood, 80-year-old Dannelle Stevens orchestrated more than 500 people to rouse at Westmoreland Park. She said she helps run a group called Miller Street Activists — named after her street — and has been hosting events at her home. Stevens partners with Indivisible.

“There’s a lot of people out there that need their neighbors, and need to feel like they’re not alone,” Stevens said.

Stevens had 150 people RSVP to a rally in Sellwood earlier in the week. That then started ticking up to 300 by Wednesday, then 500 by Thursday. Stevens distributed bright green bandanas at the event for people who planned to go into downtown Portland.

“The purpose is to identify people from the neighborhood, people who share similar values,” she said. “If they get downtown and they’re lost, particularly if it’s their first time protesting, they find someone with a green bandana and know that that’s a neighbor.”

Many organizers saw surprisingly large turnouts in small Oregon towns as well. Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Tillamook, Astoria and Manzanita.

Rural organizers said they, too, wanted their federal delegates to fight the deluge of Trump’s executive orders. Teresa Safay, originally from Ashland, said she has been protesting against Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz, who represents Oregon’s sprawling 2nd Congressional District, and his support of the administration.

“I don’t know that we have a chance of changing his mind about anything, because he seems pretty bent on supporting the administration, regardless of how it harms his constituents,” Safay said.

About 200 people gathered at Pendleton City Hall on Saturday afternoon. Umatilla County Democratic Party Chair Patrick Cahill said he was “enamored” by the turnout.

Pendleton has been a Republican stronghold for decades, with Trump pulling victories in the last three presidential elections. But Cahill pointed out the high number of federal workers living in Eastern Oregon and how they’re affected by the massive cuts to federal spending.

“When you see cuts to that, you’re really taking food off the plates of hard-working Americans,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure that people realize the faces behind these cuts.”

Hundreds of protesters also gathered in downtown Bend, and a protest in Medford drew thousands of people, according to the Rogue Valley Times.

Broader connections

The protests drew comparisons to the 2017 Women’s March, which attracted more than half a million people to Washington, D.C. and tens of thousands in Portland. But the emphasis in 2017 was primarily on the protest in the nation’s capital. By comparison, Hands Off! organizers took a fanned-out approach, encouraging protests in small towns and large cities alike. Organizers said they wanted to show how widespread dissatisfaction with the administration is.

Portlanders, too, said they were heartened by the many communities joining the rallies. Emily Selb, a recent transplant to the city, said national politicians should take note of the demonstrations that broke out in places where political rallies aren’t the norm.

“Portland is known for being activist, but smaller towns — if they’re putting their voices to it — I think that shows the connection to all of us in America,” Selb said. “The people represent more than the power.”

The sheer size of the protests was not lost on anyone. Mary Minor remembered when she and her five friends held a tiny protest in Tigard in March, after Trump spoke at his joint address to Congress. Seeing their protest grow to the massive crowd on Saturday made all the effort worth it, she said.

“Would I do it again? Probably.”

OPB’s Kathryn Styer Martínez and Ryan Haas contributed reporting to this story.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/07/oregon-protests-trump-second-term/