In a show of resistance to the Trump administration, protesters took to the Missoula County Courthouse before marching across Beartracks Bridge on Saturday.
On Saturday, April 5, a few thousand Missoulians — longtime residents, college students, families with kids in tow, and more than a few politically engaged dogs (shoutout to one pup’s “Dogs Against DOGE” sign) — packed the Missoula County Courthouse lawn just before noon for “Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back.” It was one of more than 1,200 rallies across the country organized in response to President Trump’s agenda.
The demonstrators protested a wide range of actions, from the administration’s slashing of the federal workforce and its aggressive tactics in cracking down on immigration, to policies on education, global trade, science, public lands, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights — you name it. Many were especially vocal about deep cuts to federal agencies and services that rural and working-class Montanans rely on. The tone was energetic but focused, as participants listened to speakers for a couple of hours before marching through downtown and over Beartracks Bridge, calling for elected officials to listen and act.
Photographer Jeremy Lurgio was in the crowd, capturing the signs, the speeches, and the spirit of the day. His photos — and the captions accompanying them — tell the story.
Standing on a cement pillar above the crowd, Ross Chaney swings his American Flag at the beginning of the “Hands Off!” protest at the Missoula County Courthouse on Saturday, April 5, 2025. “We can’t let them own democracy, we can’t let them own patriotism,” said Chaney, who served nine years in the U.S. Coast Guard. Thousands of protesters crammed onto the courthouse lawn for the “Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back” rally, then marched through downtown and over Beartracks Bridge. “Hands Off!” rallies against the Trump administration were held in more than 1,200 cities and towns across the country, and in all 50 states.Martin Meyer and Emerson Meyer, 3, find a higher vantage point by standing in a courthouse window alcove during the “Hands Off!” rally. They joined many of the “Hands Off!” chants that voiced dissatisfaction over recent policies put in place by President Donald Trump and his administration.Missoula Rep. Zooey Zephyr was one of several people that spoke to thousands on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn. “If you are part of the resistance, I am your representative,” Zephyr said. The event was organized by three Missoula groups: Indivisible Missoula, Missoula Resists and Stand Up Fight Back.Standing above a crowd of thousands at the Missoula County Courthouse, Ross Chaney waves his American flag in all directions during the “Hands Off!” rally. “We are going to need a bigger place to host these events,” Chaney said.Two rally attendees rest their Elon Musk protest signs during the “Hands Off!” rally in Missoula. Event organizers across the nation stressed that a core principle of the event was a commitment to nonviolent action.Jeremy Drake, second from right, listens to speakers at the “Hands Off!” rally in Missoula. Drake played drums during the event with the samba drum group, Bateria. Two different drum groups joined forces to provide energy to the Saturday protest and march.Ben Kast of Missoula joins a “We the people” chant with thousands of protesters on a packed Missoula courthouse lawn. “I’ve worn this for years for running,” Kast said of his flag-themed bandana. “Today was an excellent day to wear it. It’s not just people on the right that are patriots. The right shouldn’t own the flag. It’s all of our flag.”Thousands of protesters march down both sides of a crowded Broadway Ave. as the “Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back” rally travelled from the courthouse through downtown and over the Beartracks Bridge. The “Hands Off!” website showed there were more than 1,200 hundred events across the nation.Thousands of protesters carry a range of signs and messages as they march down Higgins Ave. during the “Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back” rally on April 5.Rose Davis stopped at the beginning of Beartracks Bridge so she could watch all the protesters walk past. “I had to stop to see all the signs,” Davis said. “What great signs.”Ethan Seiler, left, and Koroush Shoja-Chaghorvand, right, chant “Tax the rich, tax the rich,’ during the “Hands Off!” protest in Missoula. “I think in a world where genocide is live-streamed, protesting is the thing we must do,” Shoja-Chaghorvand said.After two hours of protesting in Missoula, people at the rally began dispersing, while others continued walking across Beartracks Bridge with signs held high.A homemade “Hands Off!” sign sits on a trash can after the “Hands Off! Missoula Fights Back” rally ended on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Jeremy Lurgio is a freelance photographer and documentary filmmaker. He is also a professor of photojournalism and multimedia at the University of Montana School of Journalism where he teaches classes in still photojournalism, video journalism, mini-documentary, and outdoor adventure storytelling. His work has appeared in various outlets including The Guardian, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the Washington Post, USA Today, High Country News, Big Sky Journal, Mountain Outlaw and Montana Quarterly.
