Hands Off! Blount County community members gather to protest the Trump administration

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday, April 5, in ‘Hands Off!’ rallies across the country to protest the actions of the Trump administration. Approximately 1,200 rallies were planned in cities big and small across all 50 states, from the busy streets of Manhattan, NY to the Blount County Courthouse in Maryville, TN. 

On the sunny sidewalks of Court Street, an estimated 250 attendees spent their afternoon participating in the Blount County protest, proudly bearing handmade signs with slogans such as “hurting others won’t make America great,” “this isn’t left vs. right, it’s right vs. wrong” and other “hands off” sentiments referencing a variety of issues including Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, funding for libraries and national parks, reproductive rights and more.

Mel Pierce, a Maryville resident responsible for organizing the rally, was thrilled with the turnout.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it to the Knoxville event that was happening, and I figured there might be a few other people in town that couldn’t make it as well, so I just put it out there and said ‘Hey, anyone who wants to join me for this, I’ll be here,’” Pierce said. “I was thinking it would be about 15 to 20 people, and it turned into this,” she added, gesturing to the lively crowd behind her.

Others echoed Pierce’s excitement, adding that they felt like the response from passers-by was overwhelmingly positive; throughout the two-hour demonstration, there was a near constant stream of cars driving down Court Street, most of which were filled with people honking their horns, cheering or giving a thumbs-up through their open windows.

“I’m here because I wanted to take more of an active participation in my community, speaking about my beliefs and speaking up for people who can’t speak for themselves,” said MC student Charlotte Bollschweiller (‘28). “I’m really, really happy that so many people are here today. I was not expecting this many people and it’s really uplifting and heartwarming.”

“I’ve seen so many community members here, and I keep thinking ‘oh my gosh, I didn’t know that [Maryville] cared about this.’ I feel like I’m seeing more of a united community in Maryville that I didn’t know existed,” added Araceli Wilhoite (‘28).

Demonstrator Keith Whitteaker said that the event stayed peaceful, mentioning only one counter-protester, who was largely ignored by the rest of the group.

“That shows you the difference between what’s portrayed on social media versus the reality—there’s one Trump supporter here, and all of us standing against him. They’re outnumbered and they know it, and they’re not gonna win,” he said.

“The power isn’t gonna be with one person, it’s gonna be with a group like this. This area is typically very red, and some people think there’s no sense in becoming involved in politics, but the people I’m involved with don’t believe that,” added Anne Ramsaur, an attendee who is an active community participant with the Blount County Democratic Party and the local NAACP.

Attendees came from a variety of backgrounds, demographics and age groups, and while the group all shared a common goal in protesting, each held a slightly different issue closest to their hearts.

Ramsaur said she attended in support of a variety of issues, specifically citing her concerns about cuts to Social Security—her main source of income.

Another attendee, Ingrid Haun, was worried about recent cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which have had an immediate and damaging impact on food banks across the country—including Community Food Connection in Alcoa, where Haun works. Her sign reads: “Hands off food banks.”

Some of the foods Community Food Connection has typically received from USDA are milk, cheese, frozen meat, fruits, potatoes and canned goods; with the loss of supply from USDA, the food pantry will have a much more difficult time providing these foods.

“It’s the healthy stuff. It’s the stuff that’s harder for [people] to pay for, especially for a lot of them who don’t have transportation and may live in a food desert. So this USDA food is gonna be a major loss for us, so I’m very concerned,” Haun said. 

“That’s why I made this my sign, because I think it’s a nonpartisan issue—I don’t think there’s very many people who would disagree that we should try to give food to people who need it.”

Sheri Liles, who has lived in Blount County since 1978 and is a former national parks employee of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, said she was especially interested in fighting to preserve wild spaces. She expressed concerns about exploitative land usage and recent cuts to the National Parks Service, holding a sign that reads: “Oligarchs are a nonnative invasive species.”

“I’m an old hippie,” Liles said with a laugh. “I’ve been protesting about social justice issues since the 70s and 80s, so this is not my first go-round. You would think after a while that people would evolve into something more peaceful, more kind, more compassionate, but I’m not seeing that happen right now, so here I am, [protesting] again,” she said.

The April 5 rally emphasized the necessity of community in times of political turmoil, as well as the need for concerned citizens to remember the impact their voices can have, and to not give in to feelings of powerlessness.

“I think it’s really important for Blount County specifically to see that the citizens here feel this way,” said Pierce. “These are not just Democrat or Republican issues. What’s happening right now is affecting everyone; women, veterans, people with disabilities, everyone who buys groceries or pays taxes, it’s everybody.”

Whitteaker added, “this is about Americans coming together and being Americans first, and not letting billionaires dictate the terms of our existence while we live on this planet. So we’re bringing the community out, showing, ‘no we’re not happy with this, we’re pissed off.’ We’re gonna stand together, we’re gonna organize, and we’re gonna make changes.”

“If the next step is lobbying our local politicians and representatives even though they’re Republican representatives, we have to put pressure on them so when they go to Washington, they’re talking with the voice of Tennessee—not the voice of their corporate sponsors,” he said.

Exercising First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly matters most in times of political unrest. Liles emphasized the importance of citizens using their voices, saying, “just by showing up and being with other people, you begin to realize that you’re not battling this by yourself.”

For those interested in getting involved with future demonstrations, information about upcoming protests, rallies and events being held throughout the country can be found through organizations like Hands Off!, Indivisible, Women’s March and 50501.