May 07th, 2025

Hands-off protest draws hundreds

April 5, 2025
​A sign-carrying crowd approaching 600 turned out Saturday afternoon in downtown Albany to send an emphatic two-word message to the Trump adminstration: HANDS OFF! The local protest, organized by 50501 and Albany Region Indivisibile, was part of mass mobilizations around the state and the nation April 5 in response to the Trump administration firing thousands of federal employees, implementing sweeping tariffs and moving to roll back environmental regulations, among other issues. The crowd count for the Albany protest at 12:30 p.m. was just over 525 and still growing along both sides of Ellsworth Street, from Third Avenue almost to Sixth Avenue. It was the largest protest along Ellsworth Street since 2020, when more than 1,000 people demonstrated in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. Ben Watts was among a huge number of Democrats in attendance Saturday. "I didn'texpect this many people," said Watts, chair of the Linn County Dems. "What an amazing surprise!" Nita Eggers of Albany, who turned 99 Saturday, joined the protest with her daughters Pam and Theresa and held a sign that said, "WORST PRESIDENT OF MY LIFE: I'M 99!!!"

Videos: Clockwise from top left; Nita Eggers, who turned 99 on April 5; "Hands-Off 2025 Albany, OR" Reel by Circe Verba; Vietnam veteran Kelly Stewart of Albany; and the scene along the west side of Ellsworth Street during the Hands-Off protest.