Thousands gather at capitol in santa fe for 'Hands Off! anti-Trump Protest

As it snowed in front of the state Capitol Saturday afternoon, about 2,000 people gathered to protest the Trump administration as part of a worldwide series of demonstrations.

The crowd in Santa Fe wrapped halfway around the building, stretching to the parking lot in front and crowding the sidewalks adjacent. Taking place from Trafalgar Square to Taos, the “Hands Off!” protest was one of hundreds worldwide and at least a dozen in New Mexico on Saturday in opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies.

Despite the singular target, for protestors, the reasons for coming were numerous, even “infinitesimal,” said Laura Bohn, 66.

As such, protestors’ signs ranged from “man-child in chief,” to “Free Luigi,” alluding to Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Bohn carried a sign signaling support for Ukraine.

 “People showed up here in the freezing cold because you’re pissed — you’re pissed, and you want to resist,” said Max Thurston, a member of the group organizing the event, Indivisible Santa Fe.

DeCoy Gallerina waves a Trump effigy and chants alongside thousands of people at the Capitol during a “mass mobilization” protest on Saturday. Among the thousands in attendance, there were some children — as well as some dogs, a person burning incense, wafting the smoke as she moved through the crowd, and a few large-scale puppets made by Wise Fool New Mexico.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

The speakers covered a range of topics, from the environment to immigration to the law. Heidi Feldman, a Georgetown law professor, spoke against what she called attacks on the legal profession.

 “What we are confronting in Donald Trump is a reign of lawlessness,” she said, accusing Trump of interfering with already-approved congressional funding and pointing to his “repeated resistance to obeying judicial orders,” a “disregard for civil rights” and “oppressing the legal profession.”

“ Singling out specific law firms for punitive actions because they represent people and causes he doesn’t like — that’s the whim of the dictator,” she said.

Protesters line Paseo De Peralta as thousands of people gather at the state Capitol for a “mass mobilization” protest Saturday against President Donald Trump.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

Jessica Aguirre — an immigration lawyer for the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, talked about Trump’s immigration rhetoric and policies.

“At minimum, these tactics serve to terrify our communities. At their worst, they rip families apart,” she said. 

Alana Cartier, president of the National Education Association of Santa Fe teachers union, worried about the impact of funding cuts on poorer schools.

 “Every day, I see children that are hungry,” she said. “They often are relying on the breakfast, lunch programs that schools provide. What’s going to happen when these programs are cut and they no longer receive free or reduced cost meals?”

Kevin Klix pounds his makeshift drum in solidarity as thousands of people gather at the state Capitol for a “mass mobilization” protest Saturday against President Donald Trump.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

Garrett VeneKlasen, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and one of the Democratic candidates for commissioner of public lands in 2018, spoke against selling public lands, which some congressional Republicans floated recently, and cutting federal employees.

“Laying off federal workers — especially in the U.S. Forest Service at the start of perhaps one of the worst potential wildfire seasons in the state’s history — is criminal,” he said.

“Lock him up!” much of the crowd chanted in unison.

“Trump would see exclusive gated subdivisions built upon the sacred sites of sovereign nations and hard rock mines,” VeneKlasen continued. “Bulldozing poisons into our acequias. Not on our [expletive] watch.”

“Sorry, kids,” he added. “But you’ve got to learn this somewhere.”

Thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capitol for a “mass mobilization” protest Saturday against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

Among the thousands, there were some children — as well as some dogs, an incense burner wafting the smoke as she moved through the crowd and a few large-scale puppets, made by Wise Fool New Mexico.

There were also some teenagers and young adults.

“I’m a college student, a woman, and a citizen of the country, and I feel like I have a responsibility to be here,” said Orlena Downs-Mayo, 18, and a student at St. John’s College.

“We just want to not die,” said Bri Tweet, 16, a student at the New Mexico School for the Arts.

Tweet came with Braulio “Ash” Chávez, 17, and a member of the school’s Equity Council, which he said he has needed to defend from school administrators aiming to comply with the president’s recent directives against diversity, equity and inclusion program.

 “It’s been so hard because they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re trying to follow the law,’ and everything. But I had to remind them of sometimes the law is immoral,” he said.

Thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capitol for a “mass mobilization” protest on Saturday against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, co-director of Earth Care, which recently lost a $500,000 federal grant to study air quality on the south side because of the Trump administration’s anti-DEI push, also talked about the environment.

She spoke about climate change — our world “riddled” with toxins from repeated “climate disaster,” but her primary message was one denouncing the current means of political action, notably the Democratic Party, which is “controlled by corporate interests,” she said.

“ I wish I could say that we have amazing Democratic leadership in our state, but I have to tell you instead that we watched two pages of amazing environmental and climate justice bills get killed by this Democratically controlled Legislature because this Legislature … has been captured by industry,” she said.

She noted oil and gas extraction have gone up since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took office.

“ The hard truth is that we have not built the alternative populist movement that is necessary to meet this moment, but we’re starting now. Right?” she said to cheers.

Thousands of Santa Feans gather at the state Capitol for a “mass mobilization” protest on Saturday against President Donald Trump. The event was echoed around the country with over one thousand protests in large cities and small towns alike to speak out against tariffs, DOGE, mass firings in the government and foreign policy.

Jim Weber/The New Mexican

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández reiterated a point she made at a town hall she held last weekend, noting a swing of only three House Republicans voting with Democrats would equalize their numbers.

“They always vote for the billionaires,” she said. “But they are feeling the heat. They are feeling the heat because across the country we’re doing town halls. We are showing up at rallies like this. ... We are not standing by the sidelines, and we only need three.”