SIOUX FALLS — A crowd estimated in the thousands, but some say not near that big protested Saturday in downtown Sioux Falls as part of a nationwide movement to resist President Donald Trump’s agenda, with attendees focusing on the protection of things such as abortion rights, Social Security and free trade.
“My angst is really about the millions of people who are hurting and will hurt because of his policies,” said Roni Wegner, with Indivisible 605, which helped organize the protest. “I don’t see how it’s going to help. There is no long-term plan.”
Another attendee, Reed Boysen, said, “This is not a left or right moment, this is a right or wrong moment.”
There were also protests in Pierre and Rapid City. The South Dakota chapter of the national 50501 Movement (50 protests, 50 states, one movement) was an organizer, saying that the protests were staged to “resist executive overreach, defend democracy, and oppose the harmful policies of Project 2025.” Conservative political groups wrote and published the Project 2025 plan as a roadmap to remake the federal government during Trump’s presidency.
The 50501 movement called on South Dakotans to “remove corrupt politicians from office,” “reverse the damage inflicted” and “reclaim our rights, our government and our future.” Across the country, the protests were known as “Hands Off” rallies, with partner organizations posting a website saying “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.”
