Redding on Saturday joined the nationwide Hands Off! protests, bringing out the biggest demonstration the community has seen so far this year from people who are upset and resisting President Trump and his presidential adviser Elon Musk’s cost-slashing actions.
The Redding rally in front of City Hall on Cypress Hall brought out 1,200 protesters. It is at least the sixth anti-Trump demonstration in the city.
Across the country, there were about 1,000 demonstrations organized by groups, with some of the biggest in California happening in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Demetrius Dumdum of Redding used a megaphone to chant and energize people during the rally.
“One of the many reasons I’m here is I don’t like what this administration is doing,” he said while carrying an “Orange lies matter” sign. “One of the main things that drives me is equality for all,” he added.
Redding joined the nationwide Hands Off! protests on Saturday, April 5, 2025 to oppose President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk and their policies. The rally drew about 1,200 people to Redding City Hall on Cypress Avenue. It was the largest demonstration so far this year against the administration.
Deb Webb attended the rally. She also protested a month ago and needed to update her sign to say “10 weeks of damage” instead of six weeks since Trump took office in January.
Steve Modifer of Shingletown carried a sign to drive a point about the Social Security worries some have as the administration looks to reduce government spending. Modifer’s wife, Allison, had her own sign that said “My 401K ain’t OK,” referring to retirement funds that recently took a huge hit when the stock market plunged due to tariffs.
Redding joined the nationwide Hands Off! protests on Saturday, April 5, 2025 to oppose President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk and their policies. The rally drew about 1,200 people, the largest demonstration so far this year against the administration. Steve Modifer of Shingletown expresses his views about Supplemental Security Income and eggs during the protest in front of Redding City Hall on Cypress Avenue.
Prior to Saturday’s rally, people mobilized and held back to back protests in March on Churn Creek Road, on the city’s east side. One of them was to stand in solidarity with the U.S. Postal Service workers and oppose reductions in mail service, and the other was to call on U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, to hold a town hall with constituents.
Mike Chapman is a veteran Northern California reporter and photojournalist whose byline has appeared in the Redding Record Searchlight, the Siskiyou Daily News and the Eureka Times-Standard.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding joins Hands Off! protest, sees biggest crowd in 2025