On April 5, 2025, thousands of people gathered around the Plaza Fountain in Kansas City, Mo. to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s recent acts in office.
This rally was a part of a nationwide “hands off” movement, and over 600,000 people in total had signed up online to attend at least one rally according to Indivisible, an organization established in 2017 after President Trump’s initial inauguration.
The crowd moved to the music rising from a circle of musicians drumming “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley. One woman with a GoPro danced in the center. The protesters lined the sidewalks and chanted “this is what democracy looks like.” Several attendees spoke about the sense of community and safety created at the rally, with people standing on trash cans and electrical boxes with crowds surrounding to catch them if they fall. Children could be seen bundled up in coats and mittens in strollers or on the shoulders of their parents, witnessing history.
“Democracy only works if you participate, so I want to set an example for my children that participation is mandatory,” Lenexa resident Thomas Cocollette said with his hands on a stroller holding his daughter and son, both children grasping small cardboard signs.
While most attendees were bundled up with red faces and frozen hands clutching onto their signs, some protesters found more creative ways to stay warm while expressing their anger. Three women, who wanted to remain unnamed, stood in long red robes with white visors, mimicking “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
“We decided we wanted to make a bigger statement than just having our signs,” one woman dressed as a handmaid said in an interview with the Passage, who requested to be anonymous.
“It’s amazing how fast one man can dismantle so much that we have built, it just pisses me off,” Kelly Ledwig exclaimed, standing next to her friend, Marian Brown while they held matching signs warning protesters about facism.
In a city between two historically red states, each voting for Trump in the recent election, most weren’t surprised by the turnout.
“A lot of times it feels like I’m the only one screaming at my TV,” Sarah Thomas said, “It’s nice to know you’re not the only one.”
Another rally will be held on April 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. outside of the Tesla dealership on State Line Road and 103rd Street, organized by volunteers from invisible.org.
