'My father would be crying': Hundreds protest Trump at downtown Spokane march
Taking advantage of the Presidents Day holiday to gather in the park at noon Monday, organizers argued the protest was an opportunity to recognize and organize the power — not of the president, but of residents.
The Residents Day March circled the Spokane River, marching with a police escort in one lane of the street northward on Monroe before looping back down the Washington Street tunnel under Riverfront Park. The event, one of at least two protests scheduled in the city Monday, was organized by over 30 primarily progressive advocacy groups, including Spokane Community Against Racism, Latinos En Spokane, Spokane Pride, the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund and the county Democratic Party.
Pui-Yan Lam, a sociology professor with Eastern Washington University, decried the White House's threats to withdraw federal funding from schools if they use race in numerous ways, including for scholarships, administrative support and housing.
The letter outlining the Trump administration's threats also highlighted race-based preferential admission — which was already found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023. It also criticized "toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon 'systemic and structural racism,' " wrote Craig Trainor, acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education in a Feb. 14 "Dear Colleague" letter.
"Trump and the far-right want to destroy the education system because they are afraid of the liberatory power of education," said Lam, who is an immigrant from Hong Kong. "Authoritarian regimes will not tolerate an education that teaches students how to think for themselves — they don't want that for girls and women, and they don't want that for working class students."
Pat Castaneda, executive director of immigrant resource organization Manzanita House, and Mark Finney of Thrive International, which provides transitional housing for refugees arriving in Spokane, both spoke to the Trump administration's freeze on all new refugee arrivals and renewed crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
"I refuse to watch my fellow immigrants live in fear in the shadows," said Castaneda, who is an immigrant from Venezuela. "Every day I see immigrants raising families, working hard, starting businesses. We make this city stronger."
Evee Polanski, a Mexican immigrant who came with her family to the U.S. in 1991 as a child without legal documentation and who was protected by the Obama-era DACA policy before receiving legal residency, described the fear she experienced as an undocumented immigrant.
"I was that child who came home to her parents being gone because they got picked up by ICE," Polanski said. "I was also that adult that grew up afraid to go to work when ICE raids were happening in Nevada, because that meant I might not come home to my own two children."
"Immigrant children are not criminals," she added. "I am not a criminal. You know who is a criminal? The current administration."
Kurtis Robinson, executive director of post-incarceration aid organization Revive Center for Returning Citizens and former president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, urged those in attendance to expand their activism beyond Monday's march and to focus their attention locally, not just to D.C.
"Where's the work being done here at home?" Robinson asked. "We have a lot of work to do, and some of that work is right here."
Attendees included college students and parents with young children who didn't have school Monday, at least two people who are among the many who believe they were illegally fired last week from their federal jobs, public educators, activists and several who said they had never participated in a protest before.
Kirk Phillips, who said this was the second protest he attended recently to express his displeasure with the Trump administration, hoped that Monday's event would put pressure on elected leaders like Rep. Michael Baumgartner to "actively put forward their constituents' interests more than they're doing right now."
Nan Lubbert, a member of the local chapter of Raging Grannies, pushed her rollator through the slush as she tried to keep up with the march.
"We literally have felons and perverts and rich billionaires who want to get more billions in our government," Lubbert said in frustration. "Our fathers fought in World War 2 — come on! My gosh, my father would be crying, or just go back into his grave, if he could see."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
12 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as the return of sanctions looms over nuclear deadlock
The return of sanctions, known as a 'snapback' mechanism, 'remains on the table,' according to a European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. 'A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and that they address concerns about their highly-enriched uranium stockpile,' the diplomat said. European leaders have said sanctions will resume by the end of August if there is no progress on containing Iran's nuclear program. Advertisement Tehran, meanwhile, has said the U.S., which withdrew from the 2015 deal during President Donald Trump 's first term, needs to rebuild faith in its role in negotiations. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran's engagement was dependent on 'several key principles' that included 'rebuilding Iran's trust – as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States.' In a social media post Thursday, he also said the talks shouldn't be used 'as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action.' Gharibabadi insisted that Iran's right to enrich uranium 'in line with its legitimate needs' be respected and sanctions removed. Advertisement Iran has repeatedly threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits it to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, if sanctions return. Friday's talks were being held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The identity of the E3 representatives were not immediately clear but the European Union's deputy foreign policy commissioner was thought to be attending. The U.K., France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside the U.S., Russia and China. When the U.S. withdrew in 2018, Trump insisted the agreement wasn't tough enough. Under the original deal, neither Russia nor China can veto reimposed sanctions. Since the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, which saw American B-52 bombers hit three nuclear sites, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations while supporting Israel's attacks. Against the backdrop of the conflict, which saw Iran respond with missile attacks on Israel and a strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, the road ahead remains uncertain. While European officials have said they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out. Tehran maintains it is open to diplomacy, though it recently suspended cooperation with the IAEA. A central concern for Western powers was highlighted when the IAEA reported in May that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% – just below weapons-grade level – had grown to over 400 kilograms (882 pounds). Advertisement In an interview with Al Jazeera that aired Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is prepared for another war and reiterated that its nuclear program will continue within the framework of international law while adding the country had no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons. A spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Thursday the country's nuclear industry would 'grow back and thrive again' after the recent attacks by Israel and the U.S. Vahdat reported from Tehran, Iran. Associated Press writer Stephanie Lichtenstein in Vienna contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A look at details of the settlement between Columbia University and the Trump administration
A deal between Columbia University and the Trump administration calls for the Ivy League school to pay more than $220 million to resolve multiple federal investigations into alleged violations of federal antidiscrimination laws. The agreement announced Wednesday clears the way for the school to keep billions of dollars in federal research money, including more than $400 million in grants canceled earlier this year. In return, the deal calls for a number of reforms in areas such as admissions, campus protests policies and its curriculum, including a number of changes the school agreed to previously in March. It is a document President Donald Trump's administration is calling a road map for settlements with other colleges accused of not doing enough to address campus antisemitism. Columbia University's acting president, Claire Shipman, said it protects the school's values and autonomy. Here's what's in the settlement: Financial payout The university will pay the federal government $200 million over three years. It will also pay $21 million to settle alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees that occurred following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. A pledge to end diversity programs The university agreed to end programs 'that promote unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotes, diversity targets or similar efforts.' Columbia, as part of the agreement, must also issue regular reports to an independent monitor assuring that its programs 'do not promote unlawful DEI goals.' The agreement pushes Columbia to limit the consideration of race even beyond the Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending affirmative action. That decision left open the possibility that universities could consider an applicant's discussion of how their race affected their life, including in college application essays. The agreement says: 'Columbia may not use personal statements, diversity narratives, or any applicant reference to racial identity as a means to introduce or justify discrimination.' Faculty and curriculum changes Columbia agreed to review its Middle East curriculum and appoint new faculty to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies who will 'contribute to a robust and intellectually diverse academic environment.' To further support Jewish students on campus, the agreement calls for a new administrator to serve as a liaison on antisemitism issues. Reporting on international students Columbia University agreed to new vetting for prospective international students. The agreement calls for introducing 'questions designed to elicit their reasons for wishing to study in the United States' and establishes processes to make sure all students are committed to 'civil discourse.' The university also promised to provide the government with information, upon request, of disciplinary actions involving student-visa holders resulting in expulsions or suspensions. 'In several instances, the agreement codifies other practices or policies already in existence, or reviews already underway. We must always comply with government regulations regarding the international student visa program, for example,' Shipman said. The agreement says Columbia also will 'examine its business model and take steps to decrease financial dependence on international student enrollment.' International students make up about 40% of the enrollment at Columbia. Abiding Trump's interpretation on sex discrimination The agreement requires full compliance with the administration's interpretation of Title IX, the federal law barring sex discrimination in education. Trump officials have used the law to force the removal of transgender athletes from women's sports. Campus protest policies The deal calls for Columbia to abide restrictions it agreed to on campus protests, including a ban on face coverings used to conceal demonstrators' identity. It says protests inside academic buildings are not acceptable under the university's code of conduct. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
19 minutes ago
Trump signs bill to cancel $9 billion in foreign aid, public broadcasting funding
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump signed a bill Thursday canceling about $9 billion that had been approved for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans look to lock in cuts to programs targeted by the White House's Department of Government Efficiency. The bulk of the spending being clawed back is for foreign assistance programs. About $1.1 billion was destined for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR and PBS, though most of that money is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country. The White House had billed the legislation as a test case for Congress and said more such rescission packages would be on the way. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. Democrats unanimously rejected the cuts but were powerless to stop them. The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Conservatives particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS. Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced grave concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for some local public stations in their state. Some stations will have to close, they warned. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the stations are 'not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.' On the foreign aid cuts, the White House argued that they would incentivize other nations to step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer. Democrats argued that the Republican administration's animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America's standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. They also expressed concerns that the cuts would have deadly consequences for many of the world's most impoverished people. 'With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease and deepen starvation across the planet,' said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
