Protesters called on federal lawmakers to stop what they see as a power grab by President Donald Trump and his allies.
Hundreds of Oregonians gathered in Eugene, Portland and Salem Wednesday to protest the Trump administration just over two weeks into the president’s second term.
It was among many protests across the country opposing policies ushered in by President Donald Trump, including those that aim to shrink the federal government, crack down on immigration and end policies that promote racial equity and protect the rights of LGBTQ people.
The protests occurred near the federal courthouse in Eugene, Sen. Ron Wyden’s office in Portland, and at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, where lawmakers convened last month for the legislative session.
In Eugene, demonstrators voiced their anger at the president while passing drivers honked in support. Some people held signs that read, “OLIGARCHY DESTROYS,” and “NO ONE VOTED FOR ELON.”
In Portland, protestors carried signs that said “Stand up for democracy” and “Stop the coup.” They called on federal lawmakers to use procedural tools to freeze the U.S. Senate and stop what they see as an unconstitutional power grab by Trump and his allies.
Most notably, they criticized Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and leader of several companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, who has drawn a rebuke from Democrats as the appointed head of a cost-cutting initiative the Trump administration calls the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“No one voted for him,” said Jeff Kidder, chair of the steering committee for Indivisible Oregon, a pro-Democracy group that organized the Portland protest. “We don’t want this to be a government of the rich and powerful. We want it to be a government of: We the people.”
The demonstrations came the same day that the Trump administration continued to issue orders in line with the vision articulated on the campaign trail.
For example, Trump signed an order Wednesday to prohibit transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports, a move that drew praise from Republicans nationwide. At the same time, leaders at the Justice Department took steps to gain control over the FBI and launch investigations of federal law enforcement who previously investigated the president, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
Eugene
In Eugene, protestors focused specifically on putting pressure on Oregon’s two U.S. senators: Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. Organizer Miriam Gershow said that while Merkley and Wyden are doing their part, they need to do more.
“They are not representing the fight that Democrats on the street want,” said Gershow.
Specifically, Gershow pointed out that senators need to do everything they can to slow down the Senate.
“We don't want bipartisanship,” said Gershow. “We don't want cooperation. We want Democrats to stand up and fight, as someone here said, we want them to fight dirty.”
Gershow said one urgent concern is stopping Russell Vought from becoming the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Vought, who is widely referred to as, “a chief architect of Project 2025,” has promised to take down “the administrative state.” In Chapter 2 of Project 2025, Vought argued that every executive department, including the Justice Department, should work under the president’s authority.
A final vote on Vought’s nomination is likely to take place Thursday evening.
Portland
Meanwhile, protesters crowded near tall buildings in Northeast Portland on a gray and frigid afternoon. Many wore beanies and puffy jackets with hoods pulled over their heads, as morning snowfall quickly warmed to slush and rain.
Among them was William Madill, a northeast Portland resident who said he has grown dismayed by what he called “one firehose-stream of cruel and vindictive actions” since the beginning of Trump’s term.
He said he wants lawmakers to push back against Trump’s cabinet appointees, including Pete Hegseth, who faced accusations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse and financial mismanagement during his successful confirmation hearing for Defense Secretary.
“It’s really frightening,” Madill said. “I think anything they can do to throw sand in the machinery is very important. It’s not time to be nice guys.”
Salem
In Salem, protesters — including parents with children, drag queens and teenagers — walked the streets near the Capitol. They held pride flags and carried signs in support of transgender people and abortion rights. They chanted, “This is what Democracy looks like,” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go.”
Linzy Lingo, a mother from Lebanon, pulled her three children in a wagon. She held a sign that read: “For us and the next 7 generations.”
Chelsea Alionar, a local activist from Keizer who recently protested in Washington D.C. leading up to Trump’s inauguration, wore a bright red Handmaid’s Tale costume and spoke into a megaphone covered in stickers that read “defend immigrant rights” and “a woman’s place is in the struggle.”
“We have too much at stake to sit back,” Alionar said.
What started as a partly cloudy and brisk morning eventually gave way to rain. More than two hours after the protest began in Salem, some people left, but others remained, waving American flags toward passing cars.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
The section on Eugene was written by KLCC reporter Sajina Shrestha.
