Rhiannon Taylor (foreground), of St. Albans, cheers for one of the speakers at the Hands Off rally, held to protest the policies of the Trump administration, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the West Virginia Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. Taylor said she attended the rally to send a message. “We’re losing democracy at a shockingly fast rate,†she said. About 500 turned out for the rally, which was one of hundreds held nationwide.
Rio Phillips of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä fires up the crowd at the Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the West Virginia State Capitol. About 500 turned out for the rally, which was one of hundreds held nationwide Saturday. At one point, Phillips chanted: “Hands off the Constitution, hands off democracy.â€
About 500 turned out, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for the Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration. The rally was held on the south steps of the West Virginia State Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. It was one of hundreds Hands Off rallies held nationwide Saturday.
About 500 turned out on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for a Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration. The rally was held on the south steps of the West Virginia state Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. It was one of hundreds of such rallies nationwide.Â
Rhiannon Taylor (foreground), of St. Albans, cheers for one of the speakers at the Hands Off rally, held to protest the policies of the Trump administration, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the West Virginia Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. Taylor said she attended the rally to send a message. “We’re losing democracy at a shockingly fast rate,†she said. About 500 turned out for the rally, which was one of hundreds held nationwide.
Rio Phillips of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä fires up the crowd at the Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the West Virginia State Capitol. About 500 turned out for the rally, which was one of hundreds held nationwide Saturday. At one point, Phillips chanted: “Hands off the Constitution, hands off democracy.â€
About 500 turned out, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for the Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration. The rally was held on the south steps of the West Virginia State Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. It was one of hundreds Hands Off rallies held nationwide Saturday.
About 500 turned out on Saturday, April 5, 2025, for a Hands Off rally held to protest the policies of the Trump administration. The rally was held on the south steps of the West Virginia state Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. It was one of hundreds of such rallies nationwide.Â
More than 500 people turned out at the state Capitol in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Saturday for a Hands Off rally to protest the policies of President Donald Trump.
The rally was organized by the West Virginia Democratic Party.
More than 1,200 similar rallies were held across the nation Saturday by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies remained peaceful, with no reports of arrests, according to the Associated Press.
Even though 70% of West Virginia voters chose Trump in the 2024 election, the people who turned out Saturday were focused on their opposition to many of Trump’s initiatives including:
Department of Government Efficiency cuts of thousands of workers across and West Virginia and many thousands more nationwide
Rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion policies in West Virginia government and schools as well as the federal government
Tariff restrictions, and subsequent financial market reaction
Mass deportation of undocumented immigrants
Restrictions in West Virginia on LGBTQ+ rights
At the rally, Rhiannon Taylor of St. Albans shouted in support of the event’s speakers while holding a sign that read “Deport ICE.†Taylor said she wanted to send a message to state and federal officials. “We’re losing democracy at a shockingly fast rate.â€
One of the rally speakers, Rio Phillips, who said he represented the WV Free advocacy group, encouraged the crowd to chant: “Hands off the Constitution, hands off democracy.â€
Some of the signs in the crowd read:
“Make America Free Againâ€
“We demand liberty and justice for allâ€
“No one is above the lawâ€
“Hands off our democracyâ€
On the south steps of the Capitol, overlooking the crowd, Claudia Stoscheck of Beckley held a West Virginia flag, and worried about what may come next.
“I’m very upset about the direction of the federal and state government,†Stoscheck said.
