STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Jenny Busdon’s husband Nello grew up in Italy under three dictators—Tito, Mussolini and Hitler.

The tales he can tell of people being arrested on the streets for no reason and whisked away, never to be heard of again, are legion. And that’s why Busdon joined hundreds of fellow Wood River Valley residents at a Hands Off! Rally Saturday to protest what she sees as the Trump administration’s relentless march toward authoritarianism.

“Nello says people don’t know how serious things are getting,” she said.

Old-timers said Saturday’s rally and march at Ketchum Town Square, estimated by two counters to be between 700 and 800 people, was the largest they’d ever seen in Sun Valley. It was one of 1,300 rallies across the country protesting the firing of thousands of federal workers without cause, the handling of the economy that caused the stock market to plunge 4,000 points in two days, the deportation of immigrants without hearings and the cutting of federal funding for cancer research and other programs.

A rally in Boise reportedly drew thousands and Twin Falls reportedly had a big rally, as well.

And the protests extended beyond America’s borders in Europe, Canada and elsewhere. They came a day after a Russian punk band held a demonstration in New York City to warn Americans that they, too, could risk imprisonment, like they did, if they remain silent against the rise of authoritarianism.

“Wake up, America!” they shouted. “The freedoms in our country were not taken immediately,” one member said, according to several news reports. “Twelve years ago, we were allowed to gather together on the streets…then they shut down the protests, the demonstrations, then Putin decided to change the constitution.”

One of those gathering in Ketchum wore hats that said “Make America Think Again,” while a senior carried a sign saying, “I didn’t think I would spend my golden years fighting fascism.”

“There is not enough room on this sign to list the reasons I’m here,” said the sign in the hands of one protester wearing a T-shirt that said “Equal rights for others does not mean less rights for you.” “It’s up to us—the people—to save ourselves,” said another.

Other signs said: “This is not about Left or right. It’s about right or wrong.” “Hate won’t Make Us Great.” “Make Lying Wrong Again.” “Make America Smart Again.” “Roses are red. Violets are blue. Musk Wasn’t Elected. This is a coup.” “Send Musk to El Salvador” and “Sun Valley Hearts Scientists.”

“Everyone is welcome here,” said one sign held by a rallygoer in reference to a Treasure Valley teacher whose signs meant to make her students feel valued were removed from her classroom last week.

Josh Johnson of the Idaho Conservation League said that the non-partisan ICL was founded in 1973 to be a voice for Idaho’s environment. Currently, he said, Idaho’s public lands are under threat as the Trump administration defunds the Forest Service and other agencies, laying off workers and cutting funds that enables them to do their job.

He added that people will be upset this summer when there are fewer workers to fight forest fires, restrooms are full and there’s trash on the trails. The ultimate goal is to divest public lands from federal government, he said. And, if they end up in state’s hands, they will sell them off.

“Once we lose these lands, we will not get them back. We need to keep public lands in public hands.”

Dist. 26 Sen. Ron Taylor told the crowd that the Idaho legislature just took away $70 million from public education and $25 million from an energy rebate program that helped the elderly, disabled and veterans heat their homes.

“Today is the day America stands up and says, ‘This is our country.’ It’s America’s flag, not the Republican flag, not the Maga flag. It belongs to all of us.”

Sam Linnet, a Hailey attorney who works with the Alliance of Idaho, noted that the Alliance helped 268 people obtain work permits, legal status and citizenship this past year.

“Their intent is to live here and pay taxes here. We’re a richer and stronger community because they’re here,” he said.

Linnett acknowledged that the immigration system is broken and that neither party has done what’s necessary to fix it. But what the Trump administration is doing will not fix it, either, he said.

“Ask yourself what you can do to protect the rights of your family and your neighbors,” he said. “And, remember, every time they blame the immigrants, they’re ignoring the real issues. They’re not recognizing that medical debt is the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy, that guns are the No. 1 cause of death for children...”

Former Dist. 26 legislator Ned Burns told the crowd that the Idaho legislature is following DOGE’s examples to disrupt vital services for constituents.

“Channel your anger so we can live in a democracy and not an oligarchy. Write your governor, write Mike Crapo, write Mike Simpson. Let them know we need the Department of Education, our Forest Service…let them know we will not be looted by Elon Musk…Stand up for what’s right and good. We do not let them beat us. In the words of Martin Luther King, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ ”

Sheriden Britt told how she was thrust into advocating for women’s health care  after a doctor told her that her unborn child was not going to live and, given Idaho’s restrictive reproductive rights, she would have to go into life-threatening sepsis and, perhaps, have a late-term miscarriage. As a mother of two, death was not an option, she said.

Britt urged the crowd to get involved with Idaho United for Women & Families, which plans to bring forth a ballot initiative in 2026 to restore reproductive rights in Idaho

“If you’re not part of an organization…not giving a little time to make things better, you’re not doing enough,” she said, exhorting people to take the time that it takes to put on makeup to write letters and make calls to their representatives.

Liz Keegan, who used to work in the Beltway, noted that Blaine County has a robust safety net that helps 10,000 county residents who struggle to afford the basics, given the area’s high cost of living. Among them, teachers and health care workers.

“Philanthropy is so important, but it can’t meet all the needs,” she said, adding that the government needs to step up. “We are worthy of a democracy that prides itself for justice and equality.”

Gini Ballou, who has led the Idaho Democrat Women’s Caucus,  told rallygoers that “if we’re not changing the statehouse, it doesn’t matter what we do here today in Ketchum.”

“We need to make sure that, when we get done here, we’re doing more.”

Muffy Ritz ignored the pain of a recovering broken foot to take part in the march.

“It’s come to a boil and we’re starting to spill over,” she said. “The entire country is stepping out.”

Jeanne Cassell and Virginia Johnson sported signs telling the government to keep its hands off Social Security, Medicare, public lands and more.

“We’re 92 and we’ve marched for women’s rights, our civil servants,” said Cassell. “Now we’re fighting for our democracy.”