Basin residents protest Trump policies in Ephrata

EPHRATA — A group of between 75 and 80 people gathered in front of Sun Basin Plaza in downtown Ephrata on Saturday from a little before 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. to protest policies put forth by the Donald Trump administration.  

Dave Hammond, who helped organize the protest, said a variety of concerns were discussed among those present.  

“This isn’t a left versus right thing; it’s not Democrat versus Republican,” Dave said. “For me, we are at a crossroads between right and wrong. Do we really believe in the Constitution? And I know there are a lot of Republicans who feel that way.”  

Those attending the event held up signs supporting Hands Off, a national group that coordinated protests of Trump and Elon Musk’s recent actions that have led to mass layoffs nationwide and discussion of possible cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other programs. Trump has also signed dozens of executive orders that eliminate funding for various programs or eliminate support for what protesters feel is within the purview of Congress rather than the presidency, such as the order to effectively shut down the U.S. Department of Education.  

Attendee Andy Clark said he supports streamlining the government and eliminating wasteful spending, but he feels it should be done more carefully.  

“I want to see the government shrunk, but I don’t want to see it done with a chainsaw, but (I’d rather see) it done with a scalpel,” Clark said.  

Clark said he felt Elon Musk should be removed from his position because he was not placed in authority by voters and that he was abusing his power. 

Companies Musk owns or has financial interest in have benefited from government contracts totaling billions of dollars, and some of the agencies he has led have significant staffing cuts to oversee his businesses. That has raised concerns among critics regarding conflicts of interest. According to various federal websites, SpaceX and Tesla have a combined $38 billion in government contracts in the U.S.

Clark and others held signs in favor of protecting Medicaid, the Department of Education, immigrants, Social Security, and personal data that has been put at risk as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has collected information from several federal agencies and veterans' services. A few went a step further, calling for Trump to be impeached for a third time. 

Dave’s wife, Sylvia Hammond, said she was surprised with the turnout. When Dave had begun putting the event together, the couple had expected to see a dozen or fewer people at the event. However,  six or seven times that number of attendees came from cities and towns throughout the Columbia Basin and a couple of people from further away. People from Ephrata, Moses Lake, Quincy, Soap Lake and Waterville, among others, were present at the event. 

The community’s reception of the message the protesters were presenting was mostly positive, the Hammonds said. A few people had made rude gestures or yelled comments from their cars, but many people honked, waved and gave thumbs-up signs as well. 

Sylvia said the protest was primarily about protecting America’s traditions and people’s rights and wanting to ensure that the balance of powers among the Congressional, Executive and Judicial branches of government kept their balance as intended in the Constitution.  

“It's a sincere concern,” she said. “Democracy is fragile, and it’s a real concern that Democracy – we might be surprised at how fast it could go, if we’re complacent.”  

The Hands Off organization estimated that more than 1,400 protests were held nationwide Saturday.

    Many of the protesters at the Saturday event held flags or other patriotic items, but also held signs expressing concerns about President Donald Trump’s handling of the downsizing of government agencies and the economy. Several were critical of Special Advisor Elon Musk’s oversight of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.