April 5 was a day of protest for cities in all 50 states as people spoke out against President Donald Trump’s policies, and Duvall was no exception.
Around 500 people marched through downtown Duvall on Saturday, according to Indivisible Valley, the group that organized the event. Indivisible Valley is a local chapter of Indivisible, a national progressive movement founded in 2016 in reaction to Trump’s election.
Indivisible Valley founder Michaele Blakely said her chapter follows the guidelines of the national Indivisible movement, which had asked people to rally in their local communities April 5. In the future, she said, they may take to larger cities instead.
“We wanted to show this administration that this isn’t just about people in blue cities, this is like all over the country,” she said. “I think we did that very well.”
Pete Nelson, a Fall City resident and owner of Nelson Treehouse, attended the march with his wife. He carried a homemade sign that read “…and I thought I was bad at business.”
At 62 years old, Nelson says he is concerned about how Trump’s policies will affect his family’s life savings, which are made up largely of stocks.
“We’ve worked all our lives to get to this point,” he said, “and I’ve had 25% of my nest egg just go away in the last couple of weeks.”
Nelson said he can feel “helpless” in the fight against Trump’s policies, but marching Saturday was something he could feasibly do.
“The only thing I could think of is just get on the streets,” he said.
Gregory Jamiel, founder of SnoValley Pride, marched in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The energy was really great. It was welcoming. People were super inspired,” he said. “It felt great to see our neighbors and community come together so that we didn’t feel so alone.”
Though there were Hands Off! events all over King County, Jamiel, a Carnation resident, said it was important for him to be present in his local community — like he is all year through SnoValley Pride.
“Speaking up and standing up for our [LGBTQ+] community is imperative,” he said. “It’s my life’s mission.”
Kelley Rush, a longtime Snoqualmie Valley yoga therapist, attended the march with her husband and some friends. She carried a sign that read “Trans rights R human rights,” while her husband’s sign read “Hands off our veterans.”
“It was quite a gathering of solidarity coming together,” she said. “People were ready to march in peace, and just listening to some of the shared stories of why people were there was just super moving.”
Rush said she chose to show public support of those affected by Trump’s administration because compassion and community are important parts of her yoga practice.
“I don’t want to just sit down and be quiet,” she said. “I have two legs, two arms and a huge heart, and I want to represent folks and be there with folks that are standing up for each other.”
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
Marchers walk through downtown Duvall during the Hands Off! protest April 5, 2025. Photo courtesy of Travis Wetherbee/Last Lite Photography
A line of marchers, with local Kelley Rush and her husband at the front, wait to cross the street in downtown Duvall during the Hands Off! event April 5, 2025. Photo courtesy of Travis Wetherbee/Last Lite Photography
Marchers walk through downtown Duvall during the Hands Off! protest April 5, 2025. Photo courtesy of Travis Wetherbee/Last Lite Photography
