2025

Heading home thru the neighborhood, I see this flyer...

Hm. That's tomorrow. I've never been to the Federal Courthouse, but I think that address is easy to get to from the EMX.

As I walk, I'm thinking... maybe I should go!

∞ National Association of Letter Carriers: Fight Like Hell!

∞ National Association of Letter Carriers: Fight Like Hell!
Hell No! to dismantling the Postal Service... Stand with Letter Carriers Rally to Save USPS... Protest at Noon at the Federal Courthouse in Eugene

oh, I am nervous! Having to deal with people is never fun. Crowds are terrible. And it's been ages since I've ridden the EMX.

But I get going. I leave the house at 11:20am. I get my ticket and the bus is a minute late at 11:30. And it's empty! Ha! I wonder if I should move up to the front and say hi to the bus driver. But, no. People get on at all the next stops and soon the bus is getting towards full.

I always shout Thank You! to the driver as I get off!

I double check the location of the bus stop to get me home, and then I'm walking a little ways down to the Federal Courthouse.

I had wondered why the protest wasn't at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in front of the county courthouse... but as I arrive, I understand why they choose this spot instead... This is a BUSY cross street! Lots of drivers will see us, it's very visible!

I'm early, it's 11:50am, and there aren't too many people here yet!

I cross the street and wander up the steps where they've set up a table. I ask if the tee-shirts are free and the guy pulls one out for me!

He asks if I am a current Postal worker or retired and I reply, Actually, I'm a happy Postal user!

I find a place along the back wall where I can sit and think about putting the shirt on. Most everyone else is wearing their shirts. But, nah. I stuff it into my small backpack with the water bottle.

I am people watching. Lots more people have come, in the last few minutes. There are cars honking as they go by, the drivers waving, and everyone cheers and waves back!

It's even more exciting when a postal truck goes by!!

The crowd is getting bigger. Behind me, there are several guys carrying stacks of pizza! haha! The pizza is disbursed almost immediately to the protesters, and they go back for more!

Later, there's a lady going around giving out tea... so that's nice. Something for the vegans as well. :)

Around 12:10, the guy at the table starts talking.

And then he introduced Peter DeFazio, who was an Oregon Representative for over 30 years! He retired in 2023, but I think he did great work for Oregon in his time at the House.

They took a break so the protesters could cheer at the passing cars again. And then at 12:20 there were a couple more speakers.

At this point, there's probably 200 people here, or more.

I'm winding down. Not sure if there will be more speakers or not, but I'm ready to leave.

I left at 12:40 and was home at 1:05pm and I surprised Partner who thought I'd be gone all day. Haha, very unrealistic expectations about my tolerance for humans!

But this was fun! I had a good time, and will definitely go to another protest!

Yep, I'm heading to the protest today!!

∞ Hands Off 2025

It's 11:20 when I finally get out the door. I had meant to leave earlier but I'm so nervous, I had trouble getting a move on! haha.

And this one was right outside.

And I was able to take a breath and have a moment to center myself with a friend.

I headed down to the bus stop and got a ticket and waited a few minutes. I spontaneously wave at the bus driver as he pulls up, and he waves back! :) I get a seat, but there's quite a few people riding today. And more people get on at most every stop.

There are a couple people with protest signs who get off a couple stops before I do... and I wonder what they are up to!

I get off at my stop, and go to wait for the light to cross the street. Two older women are waiting with me and they strike up conversation. Are you going to the protest?
I am!

What's your message? ha. I pause for a moment because my brain is all, oh... where to begin? *laughs*

Finally, I just wave my hand and say, We just need to get rid of them!

They laughed and agreed, Dump Trump! and the one lady had a small cardboard sign with an American flag stickered to it. We need to take back the American flag as OUR symbol!

We went across the street, and I kinda wanted to walk with them for a while. But they were going slow, and I was excited to get there. So I bid adieu and told them to Have Fun Today! and I raced ahead!

I get to the Riverbank Path, and oh my gosh! There's an Osprey up in the platform nest, yelling!!

How cool is that!!

I really miss coming out here... The bus ride is so long tho. I wish I had a car!

Okay! Focus! There's a protest to get to!!

There are a good number of people coming up the bike path, some holding signs. I pause for a moment at the Downtown Riverfront art pavilion.

I can see people going across at the walking bridge down stream. And I can hear people cheering at the city hall. It's a few minutes after noon, now... which is the time the protest is to officially start.

And there are a LOT of people here.

We are blocking the bike path... there's a few bikers coming thru, they have to walk their bikes tho to get thru all the people.

I've found a place to hang out where I am comfortable, at the edge of things. Behind me, there's a steady stream of people coming in! I have no idea where all these extra people will fit, but the crowd is moving around constantly and somehow ever more people make their way in!

Speakers started at 12:20pm.

The first person to speak said there were 2,100 people registered to be here on the MoveOn website alone. And this protest was the combined efforts of ... I'm not sure how many different groups!

We've got 50501, Indivisible, MoveOn, Womens March, and more.

The next speaker was Stan Taylor, with ACES, Activists Coalition of Eugene Springfield.

He reminded us to take care of each other. And to remember your de-escalating training!

I stayed for a few more speakers. I couldn't hear their names when they were introduced, tho. I've not found a list of speakers, online, yet. I'll add that later, if I find it.

Around 1pm I decided to walk around to the front of the building to see what was going on over there... There was no way I was going to attempt to walk thru the crowd, so I backed up the way I had come in and went the long way around.

And wow. There's a LOT of people up here too. I couldn't find a higher vantage point here, so the photos I did take don't do justice to the crowd.

All the groups were tabling here, but I didn't stop to look at them all.

The protest was set to run until 3pm, but I'm heading out.

The protest estimate is 3,500 people!

∞ Eugene Weekly: Hands Off! Thousands in Eugene Protest Donald Trump and his administration
Brilliant photos here!!!

∞ KEZI, Eugene ABC news station: Anti Trump 'Hands Off' protests in Eugene see thousands in attendance

∞ The Register-Guard, the corporate Eugene newspaper: Eugene crowds join national day of protest against Trump policies
Gallery of photos and some videos here, as well as the write up.

∞ Oregon Public Broadcasting: Protesters across Oregon stand against public services cuts under Trump and Musk
(They didn't have any reporters in Eugene, but they covered quite a few other cities across Oregon!)

I'm heading to the bus stop, and there's an amazing butterfly fluttering in this hell strip!

Oh my gosh! I've been seeing these butterflies for a couple weeks now, but they never sit for me.

Lorquin Admiral!!

Well now! I'm taking that as a sign of good luck! I get to the EMX stop and after I buy the ticket, I've got just two minutes to wait.

Because of the protest, the buses are on a different route to avoid traffic. We go thru a couple quiet neighborhoods, and the streets aren't wide enough! The bus takes up most of the two lanes! Yikes!!

I bet the drivers hate this! But there's nothing for it, the car drivers just have to wait!

And the different route has confused my sense of direction! When we get to the station, I just start walking. I have to walk all the way around the station in order to get my bearings! haha!

I find the street I want, but I'm still unsure about direction. There's several other people walking this way, tho. And then I find a lady with a small American Flag! Okay! I follow her.

When we go past the streets that Saturday Market is on, I've got the map straight in my head again. As we go by the parking garage that's free for the weekend, I hear a lady tell one of the drivers trying to get in that he shouldn't bother, it's full. Ha! That's crazy!

It's 11:40 -- the protest started at 11 -- and I'm a block away from the federal courthouse... but there's too many people! As I draw closer, I realize I am not even going to be able to get close!

I hem and haw, walking back and forth at the edge of the crowd.

There's a group of cops here. I'm amused to see they are being entertained by a little old lady!

But I get my courage up and wade into the crowd!!

So many people! So Many Signs!!

The above is a child holding the Democracy sign... I'm blurring out kids faces. The rest of us do not have an expectation of privacy! Which is fine by me. There were many, MANY people recording on their phone! and a few people like me with cameras.

The protest at the courthouse was from 11 to noon and then the march would go from noon to 2pm and would be lead by the drummers... the Samba Ja percussion ensemble!

So I was making my way towards them, right at noon and got to see the march get moving.

Stay tuned for Part 2! (I just want to get this uploaded!!)

I had been walking with the march, and occasionally stepping aside on the sidewalk to watch people go by. But it's time for me to take a break!

I find a nice shady tree and put my backpack on the ground to pull out one of my water bottles. There's still ice, and it's shockingly cold!

I've loaded the backpack with lots of snacks... Clif Bars and fig breakfast bars. I don't know why I bothered, I'm not going to eat any of that! *laughs*

The march has come around the corner from Mill St and is going down Broadway.

Haha... An Amazon truck got caught in the march. The driver is at the back, cheering us on and waving her little flag!

As I went by, the driver went up to the front of the truck and honked the horn! Everyone cheered!!

There were a couple places where the march had to pause at red lights for cross traffic to go by. There were volunteers here, making sure marchers stopped for the lights and that everyone was safe and organized! And the drivers honked and waved joyfully as they drove by!

So many brilliant signs! :)

I am starting to lose steam here and I decide to turn around and head for the bus station to get home. I have a ways to walk, tho and I just back track along the marchers.

There were a few dogs!

Haha! Ending Fascism is on the Gay Agenda Brilliant!!

So many people, I wasn't sure if I would ever hit the end of the marchers! But here I am at the back, a truck bringing up the rear.

So much fun!

And how many people??? I had no way of estimating, there were people everywhere!! I'm thinking well over 5,000 and wonder if there was actually 10,000.

And yep, a few others were approximating 10,000 as well!

∞ No Kings protest draws 10,000 demonstrators to downtown Eugene

Another thought I had as I was walking home...

There were no counter protesters! Zero!

And I'm glad! Those lame-o Magas can stay home while the rest of us fix democracy!!

I purposefully avoided all the news and videos about that Traitor's military parade in Washington DC. But apparently, it was pretty lame.

And this totally cracks me up.

∞ Donnie's DooDah Parade, & now we know what military thinks of Secretary of Jagermeister

A little bit of malicious compliance from the soldiers with sloppy marching. Along with some trolling in the music choices?!! *giggles* Awesome!

I've hit a couple really good collections of photos! Enjoy!

∞ Pictures from the raucous downtown protest in Novato California

∞ No Kings Yas Queens: The best & gayest signs from the No Kings protests The people's anger has clearly spawned some creativity.