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More than 400 protesters lined up along the intersection of Cache and Broadway streets rallying against President Donald Trump’s policies on Saturday, as part of a national “No Kings” movement.
Saturday’s rally was the fourth major protest in Jackson since Trump’s January inauguration. More than 2,000 “No Kings” rallies took place across the country, with at least 13 in Wyoming, according to reporting from WyoFile.
Colorful posters had sharp critiques of the president, calling out cuts to federal jobs and veteran services, the aggressive crackdown on immigration, accusations of executive overreach and the expensive military parade also taking place in Washington D.C. that same day. Critics raised overarching concerns about the country’s dwindling democracy.
Jackson massage therapist Ali Wasiutynski strategically stood at the northernmost corner where tour buses and cars loaded up with mountain bikes, kayaks and visitors passed. The road is the main stretch from Jackson to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
Visitors heading toward Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks pass by protesters decrying cuts to federal workers, aggressive immigration policies and executive overreach. (Jenna McMurtry / KHOL)
Wasiutynski’s sign read “Going to a National Park? Then support federal workers.”
She dedicated her message to her friends who work for the forest service.
“They’ve been highly affected by what’s happened in this Trump administration, especially with Elon Musk taking over [the Department of Government Efficiency],” Wasiutynski said. “Their lives have been completely uprooted, and they’re unsure, day to day, what their lives are gonna bring them.”
Though Wasiutynski has lived in town for five years, Saturday’s rally was the first she has attended. She wasn’t the only newcomer to a Jackson protest, as many visitors took time out of their vacations to join the rally.
For Madison Kirby, visiting from Chicago, the stakes that brought her out were high.
Her goal, she said, was “fighting against fascism and protecting the backbone of our country, which is immigrants. Doing everything we can to protect all of our federal workers who are protecting our national parks and keeping America what it is and what it should be.”
Her sign made a parody out of the U.S. Forest Service’s Smokey the Bear. In her version, Smokey wore a hat that said “Resist” with the words “Only you can prevent fascist liars.”
Part-time resident Ron Brothers splits his time between the Cowboy State and Arizona. He came out to support immigrants after Department of Homeland Security raids picked up in recent weeks across the country.
“Back off on the immigration program. [It’s] way out of hand and they’re not following anybody’s human rights,” Brothers said.
A federal worker, who wished to remain anonymous out of retaliation fears, brought a poster that showed “Trump trying to be king.”
As protests pick up steam across the country, the worker said the recent rallies changed their thoughts on protests and whether they are effective.
“For a while I was thinking, really, what does a protest matter? But then I saw a scholar on TV saying that if you stand up, if one person stands up, more people will see that,” the worker told KHOL. “It’s a little thing we can do.”
