Protests in Wisconsin Join Those Across the Country

Wisconsin (Civic Media) – Peaceful protests in Wisconsin joined the large number of protests across the entire country. Saturday, April 5, crowds gathered at state capitol grounds in most if not all states in the USA. Dubbed the “Hands Off” protest by organizers, more than 1,300 planned events took place across the country. Millions of people turned out to make their voices heard at these peaceful events.

Madison

State Street in Madison saw a solid wall of people marching with signs and chants. Many protestors held American flags along with signs expressing concern over a variety of issues. Veterans protested cuts to the VA. Women held signs stating “Hands Off My Body”. Others protested tariffs and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. Chants rang out across the capital grounds of “Not for sale” and “1, 2, 3, 4, we don’t want no tariff war.”

Stevens Point

In Stevens Point, close to 400 people gathered in front of the US Post Office on Main Street. Signs read, “Stop the COUP”, “Defend Democracy”, and “Hands Off SSA, CDC, USAID, Colleges”. Protestors gather weekly to speak out against the actions coming from Washington D.C. directly affecting their lives and livelihoods.

Wisconsin Rapids

People have been protesting weekly on the East Riverview Expressway bridge in Wisconsin Rapids. Saturday saw the largest crowd with around 100 people spread out across the bridge. Attendees braved the cold and windy conditions to stand up for their rights as American citizens. They peacefully protested Musk’s involvement in our elections and actions he’s taking to cut programs people depend on. One sign read “Laws not Chainsaws”. Another sign called to “End Citizen’s United”.  This is the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that reversed campaign finance restrictions. It allows corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited money on elections.

What Our Representatives are Saying

Senator Cory Tomczyk represents the 29th Senate District. He stated, “I think that there’s too much outside money. I think Wisconsinites should be funding Wisconsin elections and not people from other states.”

Tariffs

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Senator Baldwin addressed tariffs in a virtual town hall last month, “I think tariffs are an important tool in our trade toolbox. And I think they should be used in a very targeted fashion.” Baldwin said when a country or industry sector cheats by undermining our rules or our economy, tariffs are useful to level the playing field. She said this allows our workers to compete fairly.

In a press release on April 2, 2025, Senator Baldwin stated, “Donald Trump promised to lower prices for Wisconsinites on Day 1, but it’s been 72 days and families are still facing soaring costs. Now, Donald Trump’s trade war is set to jack up the price of virtually everything from the grocery store and gas pump to buying a home and car”.

Senator Ron Johnson

Senator Johnson also expresses concerns about President Trump’s new tariffs. He discussed the fact that much of the United States’ manufacturing takes place in other countries. We don’t have the critical infrastructure ready to restart manufacturing here quickly. Johnson said these tariffs are “reasonably high risk”. They could affect Wisconsin manufacturers when they try to export, making them less competitive. Wisconsin exported $26.9 billion dollars worth of goods in 2023. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, Wisconsin’s top export destinations include Canada, Mexico, China, Germany, and Belgium.