Thousands of people took to the streets across Western North Carolina midday Saturday as part of a nationwide mobilization against the Trump Administration policies.
National organizers said the rallies were a time to speak out against what they called "the most brazen power grab in modern history."
The protests were particularly aimed at President Trump and his special advisor Elon Musk.
"Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them," according to the organizing website.
Events were planned in more than 1,200 cities across all 50 states.
In Asheville, more than 7,000 protestors gathered at a rally at Pack Square, which included speeches from people who have worked in education, the postal service, emergency response, the military and other former federal agencies.
WomanSong and the Asheville Gay Men鈥檚 Chorus led musical performances.
Local groups Good Trouble WNC, Indivisible Asheville/WNC and the NC Poor People's Campaign sponsored the event as part of the nationwide movement.
Rallygoers carried signs criticizing the Trump administration, especially DOGE, the federal cost-cutting program, along with pleas to support federal funding for public health, education and social services like Medicare.
Kate McCarthy, a former USAID worker who lost her job in January, emphasized that federal workers should not be a political target.
鈥淲e are not the enemy. We are your neighbors. We are public servants. We are not politicians. We do this for love of country,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his is a time for all of us working families to unite both sides and tell Congress that our playbook is the Constitution. And theirs is, too. And if they're not going to do their jobs protecting the Constitution, then their job is going to get cut too.鈥�
In a fiery speech, Jay Carey, a retired veteran with disabilities, encouraged the crowd to not give up their power and to hold elected officials accountable for their actions.
鈥淲e give our power to the elected officials for them to take care of all of us, not to just give it away,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm not just talking about the right, but the left as well. We need to hold all our politicians to that same standard and speak for us and support us. They need to stand up for our most vulnerable.鈥�
Carey received national attention for last month after yelling at U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards. Since that incident, Carey formed a new veteran鈥檚 advocacy organization, .
Postal worker Tavon Wells, who serves as a local union leader, told the crowd, 鈥渢he US mail is not for sale.鈥�
鈥淭he postal service employees are part of your communities. For some, you know, senior retirees, they're the only person that they see every day,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e do welfare checks. We delivered during Covid. We delivered during Hurricane Helene. We delivered and we don't stop. Through rain, sleet, snow or hail, nothing will stop us from delivering the mail. And Trump's not going to stop us, right?鈥�
He encouraged the crowd to take action if they wanted to protect the postal service.
鈥淚 encourage everyone to reach out to your members of Congress and let them know that when I voted for you, I didn't vote for you to go up there and sell off everything for the billionaires. That the postal service is for the people, not the billionaires,鈥� he said.
Other speakers included firefighter and former Marine Corps member Will Nugent and educator Shannon Keel, who warned against the dangers of cutting funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education.
In Sylva, more than 300 people held signs and shouted in protest Trump鈥檚 recent policies around immigration, healthcare, voting rights, as well as cuts to national parks, education, veterans services, and more.
Nilofer Couture with Indivisible-Common Ground and others led chats throughout the afternoon such as 鈥淣o Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA,鈥� 鈥淚mmigrants are welcome here鈥� and 鈥淭his is what Democracy looks like.鈥�
Many people in the crowd live in Jackson County.
Jennifer Cooper lives in Sylva. Her sign had two sides, 鈥淟ove not hate makes America Great鈥� and a list of things that should be 鈥淗ands Off:鈥� public lands, education and social security.鈥�
鈥淚 just think that there is so much on the line. Seeing our public lands be cut, seeing social security be cut potentially, seeing education be cut, hungry children... I think all of that is just so detrimental to our society, so I wanted to come out and make my voice be heard,鈥� Cooper said.
Antoinette MacWatt is 76-years-old, her husband, a career Marine, just passed away. She said she attended the event in part for him.
鈥淗e fought for this country. My father fought in WWII and Elon Musk鈥檚 Nazi salute - those of us born, the baby boomers, that was such a trigger in our lives because our parents lived through that. To ignore the fascist way that the folks are moving our country - it鈥檚 impossible for me,鈥� MacWatt said. She said she worried about the direction of the country for her grandchildren
鈥淚 think we have three branches of government for a reason. I鈥檝e read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and I think this particular president and his cronies are misusing their power.鈥�
Paige LeBlanc, 27, is president of the Trans Student Union at Western Carolina University. Her sign said, 鈥淗ands Off my Body.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 a transwoman and this month, this April, I鈥檓 celebrating one year on hormone replacement therapy and I鈥檓 a living testament that it is life saving treatment- and it deserves not to be politicized,鈥� LeBlanc said. 鈥淲e deserve to have the healthcare that we need because we are just as human as anyone else.鈥�
Sarah Hatton held up a chainsaw that said, 鈥淒own with DOGE.鈥�
At 80-years-old, Sarah Hatton said it was important for her to attend the Hands Off protest in Sylva.
鈥淚 figure if Elon Musk can do it, so can I,鈥� Hatton said. 鈥淣ot many 80-year-olds could hold up this thing.鈥�
She said she is against 鈥渁ll鈥� of the recent cuts by 鈥淒OGE, Elon Musk and Trump.鈥� She is particularly concerned about her Social Security benefits. She said if it ends she 鈥渋s out.鈥�
Tom Sayre also lives in Sylva. He said he is concerned that the United States is moving toward more fossil fuels instead of eclectic power as well as cuts to scientists studying climate and personal health.
鈥淭here are so many fields that we had a clear leadership in which he's just demolishing,鈥� Sayre, 74, said. 鈥淎nd in addition to that, the Congress simply isn't doing anything to try to protect its own rights and privileges.鈥�
Many people took turns on the microphone at the protests sharing their concerns including recent ICE detention of, the war in Gaza, cuts to education and libraries as well as other political issues.
Johnny said he lives in the mountains between Franklin and Sylva. He didn鈥檛 want to share his last name but said he is a naturalized citizen from Luxembourg. He said his uncle was head of Luxembourg's Nazi Resistance movement and was killed by Nazis.
鈥淚 feel like I am continuing this resistance movement that my uncle was part of,鈥� he said.
鈥淵ou know when I go home tonight and I sit there and watch the news, I鈥檓 going to feel good about myself for having at least made an effort to be part of the resistance.鈥�
Protestors also gathered in Franklin, Bryson City, Brevard and Waynesville.
Franklin Franklin Forward organized the protest in Macon County and estimates almost 500 people at the event in downtown Franklin. Macon County Young Progressive posted .
In Bryson City, about 100 people were estimated to be at the protest by the Swain County Democratic Party. The group posted a video of the.
In Waynesville, at least 800 people turned out for Hands Off Haywood.
That鈥檚 according to Dr. Steve Wall, one of the organizers of the event. Wall was a at Haywood Regional Medical Center for over 30 years. He said he is concerned about what potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security will mean for the county.
He said that protestors have been meeting at the county courthouse on Fridays for the last few weeks. The Hands Off event had the largest turnout by far, according to Wall.
鈥淭his really encourages us to continue this kind of effort because we just know that our democracy is under assault,鈥� Wall said. He said he remembers similar protests in 2017 after President Trump was elected and said that there were fewer 鈥渘egative responses鈥� during this event.
Wall said he expects to organize more protests in Haywood County.
Note: This developing story was updated.
