Cold morning does not dissuade Sioux Falls crowd from sending heated message to Trump, Musk

The morning was cold, but the crowd was hot to make it clear, they are very unhappy with the Trump administration and its efforts to disrupt and damage the nation.

Downtown Sioux Falls was the site of a rally Saturday that drew more than 2,000 people eager to shout, chant and send a message to Trump, his billionaire ally Elon Musk, and the South Dakota congressional delegation: Hands off!

The rally was one of more than 1,200 held across the country. Every state saw protests against the reckless and feckless policies Trump has pursued in his second term in office. There also were rallies in other countries.

Former Sioux Falls Mayor Rick Knobe was among the organizers. He took the stage in the courtyard next to the U.S. Courthouse to lead chants and encourage spirit.

“We are NOT OK,” Knobe said, and the crowd thundered those words back. He is a former Republican who belongs to Change Agents South Dakota, which seeks to find middle ground on issues.

Craig Brown of Sioux Falls served as the moderator. Brown noted the rally was being held in “John Thune’s backyard,” and urged the crowd to let Thune, fellow Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson hear their voices.

He said 2 million people were coming together on Saturday to protest against Trump and Musk. This is our country, Brown said, and we must take back control of it.

He urged people to connect, to make friends and get phone numbers.

“We are building a community,” Brown said.

He also led the crowd in a chant directed at Musk, who was as much if not more of a target than Trump.

“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go,” Brown said, and the crowd shouted along with him.

After the rally, Brown said he was overwhelmed by the turnout and response. He is an old hand at protests, having spoken out in opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1970s. That rally was held just two blocks from the one held on Saturday.

Brown said the passion people displayed shows how upset people are over Trump’s actions. Most had no idea they would turn out and wave signs to oppose him, he said.

“I don’t think most people see themselves in that light,” Brown said.

The first speaker he introduced was Andreanna May, who said working together is the key to blocking and reversing Trump’s policies.

“The people united cannot be divided,” she said. “The people are with us. The outrage is widespread.”

She also urged people to be tolerant and work with people with different views. The Trump camp is driven by hatred, she said, and love can and will defeat hate.

The Rev. Alex Smith from Peace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls said she understood why people came out on a bitterly cold Saturday morning. There is a “great cause for concern,” she said.

She urged people to use “peace, prayer and reflection” to oppose Trump’s policies and Musk’s strong-arm tactics.

“Blessings of peace, justice and resistance today,” she said.

State Rep. Kadyn Wittman welcomed the crowd to legislative District 15, which she represents. State Rep. Erik Muckey and state Sen. Jamie Smith, who also are from that district, also spoke.

Wittman said she was tired of a government that does not side with the average person. She urged the crowd to support the nine Democratic legislators in Pierre, who have to battle to have their voices heard in a Legislature with Republican supermajorities in both chambers.

Wittman also blasted Musk, who has been granted sweeping power by Trump to fire federal employees, pull back funding for agencies and organizations and invade offices to examine records and documents.

That’s not what Americans want, she said.

“All we are seeing is corruption at the highest level by an unelected megalomaniac,” Wittman said. “I need you to be angry every day of the year.”

Vietnam veteran Mike Curtis spoke with an upside-down flag, a symbol of distress, behind him. Curtis said he took an oath to defend his country when he enlisted.

“That oath has no expiration date,” he said.

Curtis urged people to get fired up and work to restore the country.

“Are you angry? Are you mad?” he asked. “You should be. This has to stop.”

Curtis said the rallies were sending a clear message to members of Congress who are bowing down to Trump and betraying their oaths to serve the nation and not one man. The people elect them and pay their salaries, he said, and they can remove them from office.

As Curtis was firing up the crowd, a Tesla cruised on Phillips Avenue past the rally. That elicited boos and catcalls from the crowd.

“Must be a little love for Elon,” he said, drawing laughter from the cold but well-behaved assemblage.

Other speakers and performers included Jen Dreiske from South Dakota Voices for Peace, Erinn Williams, postal worker Justin Claussen, Sandy Gunderson from the federal employees union, Allison Renville from TiWakan.org, the Wakpa Ipaksan Singers, and Etta McKinley, who also sang.

Pia Justice, a 14-year-old transgender girl, took the stage and had the crowd roaring its approval.

The rally lasted more than two hours, with people waving hundreds of signs. There was little to no response from Trump supporters, and numerous cars honked their horns while driving past.

Knobe urged people to adhere to the law, not to harm a person or any property and to be loud but respectful. He said there are more rallies to come.

“This is the start,” he said.

Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states for four decades. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Do not republish without permission.

Photo: A rally against President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk and their devastating policies drew more than 2,000 people to downtown Sioux Falls on a chilly Saturday morning.  Photo by Tom Lawrence