2 weeks Ago
SUMMERVILLE — In the afternoon heat and sunshine of April 5, hundreds of people gathered to protest President Donald Trump, his administration's policies, and elected officials aligned with him. Demonstrators lined the north side of North Main Street in front of the Dorchester County government building, waving signs and cheering as cars passing by repeatedly honked in support. The demonstration was part of the bigger "Hands Off" event that saw protests nationwide, including crowds of thousands in Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.
C. The Summerville protest attracted people of all ages from kids and teenagers to parents and seniors. Demonstrators listen to Debi Gupton speak during the "Hands Off" protest in Summerville on April 5, 2025.
Several signs called on Trump and advisor Elon Musk to take the "hands off" Medicaid and Medicare, federal jobs, LGBTQ+ rights, and democracy. Others criticized the president for increasing tensions with Canada and cracking down on illegal immigration. Bryan Holman, a community organizer in Dorchester and Berkeley counties who organized the protest, said that about 1,200 people turned out.
He added that people were lined up for four full blocks along North Main Street. "We're trying to let everybody know that we want an America for everybody. We don't care where you come from, who you are, what you want to call yourself, what other people want to call you," he said.
"We don't care about any of that." He added that the Summerville Police Department were helpful in coordinating safety for the demonstration and said police "absolutely support" their right to protest. Tracy Lyssand spent much of her life in Charleston before moving to Norway with her husband, who is a dual citizen.
She said she came back to handle an inheritance from her parents and heard about the protest. Lyssand said she voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980's but has always prioritized who she thought was the best candidate over any political party. She added that she doesn't think the president understands the global economy and is concerned about his closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Crystal Gadsden said she saw a post on Facebook about the event and decided to join in. She said that she came out thinking of her son, who she said is incarcerated and experienced severe medical issues. Crystal Gadsden holds her sign, reading "Stop the lies," during the "Hands Off" protest in Summerville on April 5, 2025.
Holding a "stop the lies" sign, she said she wants elected officials to "get a heart." "When they look at these people, they need to look at it as that could have been my father, or that could be my mother, or that could be my grandfather," Gadsden said. "You got veterans with signs saying, 'I still can't afford food.
' When you make these laws, when you up these prices, think about them. ..
. They fought for this country, and now they can't even afford to live in this country." Carol Halla, a 22-year Air Force veteran, attended the rally with her husband, Bruce, who served in the Vietnam War.
She expressed concerns about cuts to veterans' benefits . "If they're thinking about touching my benefits, they can forget it," she said. Barbara Bond and Valerie Eddington said they both identify as political independents.
Bond said the actions Trump and Musk have taken are "too much." "It crossed the line," she said. "So many people are gonna be hurt by this, and there's no way I can just sit home and not say something.
" Valerie Eddington, left, and Barbara Bond show off the signs they hung from their walkers during the "Hands Off" protest in Summerville on April 5, 2025. Eddington said it was reassuring to see so many people turn out for the protest, particularly in the predominantly Republican state. "We need to get through to people who maybe voted for Trump or consider themselves conservative," she added.
"Like (New Jersey Sen.) Cory Booker said, it's not a matter of left and right, it's right and wrong." Debi Gupton spoke to the crowd with a bullhorn, opposing book bans and leaders who support them, including Charleston County School Board member Michele Leber .
She also railed against a push led by Republican state Sen. Matt Leber to require the county's library board to swear an oath to the U.S.
and state constitutions. "No ban on books!" she shouted into the megaphone to cheers from her fellow protesters. Gupton said that her daughter, Trisha Shanteau, sent her the link to the online flyer for the event.
"We knew there were going to be a lot of people here. What we did not imagine was all the support of the cars going by, people blowing their horns and hooraying," she said. "Some people had their own little signs, and they were holding them up.
The outpour of support has been phenomenal." Debi Gupton and her daughter, Trisha Shanteau, show off their respective sign and shirt during the "Hands Off" protest in Summerville on April 5, 2025. She mentioned a couple of drivers had heckled them as they drove by, including one man who she said shouted slurs out the window.
"Trisha said, 'I love you.' I was like, 'Whoa, let's blow kisses,'" Gupton said. "And everyone started blowing kisses at him.
" She added that he didn't know how to respond. Shanteau, a veterinarian, lives in Charleston but works in Alabama teaching veterinary nurses. She said she organized during the first Trump administration and got involved this time after seeing information taken off the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website in response to an executive order .
"Every single web page I went to — we're talking about leptospirosis, giardiasis, toxoplasma. These are not political," she said. "There was none of the banned words on the website.
" Shanteau — wearing a black tear shirt stating "I read banned books" — said in time she plans on moving back to the Lowcountry full-time and "get way more involved," including potentially running for office locally..
