Local protestors join National ‘Hands Off’ in defiance of Trump Administration; Tariffs pour fuel to the fight

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Apr 2

Protestors have been hitting Second Street and Union for weeks now in defiance of policies and executive orders coming from the Trump Administration. Photo by Jan Polychronis

Protest in The Dalles are being held on Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in front of the Dalles Post Office.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles Ore., April 2, 2025 — Protesting is going into overdrive in the mid-Columbia as locals hit the streets in defiance of the Trump Administration.

“We are on all four corners (at Second and Union streets) and there were up to possibly 70 people last week,” said protestor Jan Polychronis recently. “We are protesting federal workers being cut, especially US Aid, Veterans, Medicaid, Social Security, etc.”

The activity is expected to ramp up this Saturday, April 5 in Hood River as locals from around the Gorge are being asked to join the national Hands Off protest in the Port of Hood River in the grass north of Ferment Brewing at 11 a.m.

The group then plans to March to the public Fountain next to Horsefeathers at 2nd and State streets.

“There are mostly people in their later decades and definitely some vets there,” Polchronis said describing The Dalles protest group. “It is of course a peaceful protest. We do have signs. We wave at the cars coming by on second Street and I would say maybe up to 50% of the people wave back or honk. There were some people that showed their displeasure with our protest by yelling things out of their window, burning off tires, or going extremely fast.”

President Trump Brings the Hammer Down with Tariffs on Wednesday, April 2

President Donald Trump continues to disrupt global markets on Wednesday with the announcement of tariffs on all goods coming into the United States.

Many economists believe the tariffs - or taxes imposed on foreign products will lead to increased inflation and sour relations with countries that will inflict their own tariffs on American goods in response.

However, Trump maintains the Tariffs are the necessary policy to pay down the $36 Trillion national debt while boosting manufacturing in the United States.

President Trump will impose a 10% tariff on all countries, according to his own statement at WhiteHouse.gov

This will take effect April 5, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

President Trump will impose an individualized reciprocal higher tariff on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits. All other countries will continue to be subject to the original 10% tariff baseline. This will take effect April 9, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

CBS News reported on Wednesday that “Simon MacAdam, deputy chief global economist with Capital Economics, thinks likely targets include leading U.S. trading partners such as China, the European Union and Vietnam. In 2024, the largest U.S. trade deficits around the globe — meaning countries from which the U.S. imports more than it exports — was with the following nations, according to federal data:

China ($295.4 billion)
European Union ($235.6 billion)
Mexico ($171.8 billion)
Vietnam ($123.5 billion)
Ireland ($86.7 billion)
Germany ($84.8 billion)
Taiwan ($73.9 billion)
Japan ($68.5 billion)
South Korea ($66 billion)
Canada ($63.3 billion)
India ($45.7 billion)
Thailand ($45.6 billion)
Italy ($44 billion)
Switzerland ($38.5 billion)
Malaysia ($24.8 billion)
Indonesia ($17.9 billion)
France ($16.4 billion)
Austria ($13.1 billion)
Sweden ($9.8 billion)”

About Hands Off protest and its Organization Invincible

Hand’s off is a national protest event that is being organized by Indivisible, a grassroots movement of thousands of local groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda, according to its website.

Group Co-founder Leah Greenberg of Maryland is an American political activist who served as Policy Director for the Tom Perriello for Governor of Virginia campaign. Group Co-founder Ezra Levin of Texas served as Associate Director of Federal Policy for Prosperity Now, a national anti-poverty nonprofit. Previously, he was the Deputy Policy Director for Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX).