Will downtown Bellingham protests this weekend bring street closures? Here’s what to know

A series of protests against the Trump administration is planned for this weekend at cities across the country. The protest movement — called “Hands Off!” — lists events in more than three dozen cities in Washington, including Bellingham, and hundreds more across the country.

The Hands Off! website carries the following message on its home page: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”

Whether you’re planning to go or you want to avoid street closures, here’s what you need to know.

When is the protest?

The protest is slated to begin at noon on Saturday, April 5.

Where is the protest?

The Hands Off! website lists two separate Bellingham protest locations. One is at 104 E Magnolia St., in front of the old Bellingham Federal Building. The other is in front of Bellingham City Hall, located at 210 Lottie St. Indivisible Bellingham and the local branch of the League of Women Voters both have the City Hall protest listed on their websites.

According to an email sent by Indivisible Bellingham, the two events are separate, and as of Monday organizers had no plans to merge them.

Will any streets be closed?

The organizers of the City Hall protest received permission from the city to close down the street. According to the Bellingham Police Department, the 200 block of Lottie Street will be closed for the protest, but the permit doesn’t include any other blocks.

Deming protest

A Hands Off! event is also set for 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Glacier Public Service Center outside of Deming.

Organizers describe it as “a peaceful protest to advocate preserving funding for our public lands staff (U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, etc.). More information about the event is available at https://shorturl.at/vbyP6.

Everson protest

Another Hands Off! event is scheduled to start at noon Saturday in Everson. The event is being organized by community elder Kathryn Hanowell. Participants will gather from noon to 4 p.m. in front of the Everson Market at 210 E Main St.

This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.