The Saturday, April 5 demonstration was part of a national day of action entitled “Hands Off!” Shortly before the rally got underway, a community organizer was taken into custody by Grand Rapids police officers who had a warrant out for their arrest.

Over 1,000 events were planned en-masse across the country, with the Grand Rapids rally organized by Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids, which is part of a national organization that advocates progressive politics. Michigan demonstrations were organized in Holland, Big Rapids and Muskegon, among other cities. A Lansing rally also took place at the State Capitol.

The Grand Rapids gathering included speeches, a poetry reading and activists flyering for a variety of community groups. Protesters then took to the city’s sidewalks, chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Before the event began, GRPD officers arrested Emerson Wolfe, the co-chair of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR). According to Wolfe, they were apprehended for a warrant that was issued after an International Women’s Day march last month. Wolfe helped facilitate the demonstration and claimed the warrant was issued for failing to obey an officer’s order, a misdemeanor. 

According to a GRPD spokesperson, officers did not seek out Wolfe but placed them under arrest after they “approached a sergeant who was meeting with event organizers.”

Wolfe was held in custody at the Kent County Jail for a short period of time, but returned to the gathering following their release. They spoke to the crowd, commenting on their arrest.

“Instead of helping us (safely protest), the Grand Rapids Police Department decided to repress our movement and arrest me as a figurehead,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe encouraged community members to “fight back” by engaging in actions that support immigrants, unions, the transgender community and the Black power movement.

Protesters, including community member Savannah Harrington, also expressed upset over what they feel is a disenfranchisement of rights for transgender and immigrant populations. Harrington was glad to see people taking action in Grand Rapids and across the country, despite what she described as the Trump administration’s attempt to stifle dissent.

“The Trump administration has tried its darndest to incite fear in the general public, making them feel like they’re not allowed to have free speech or protest,” Harrington said. “The fact that people are standing up despite that is reflective of who we are as a society.”

Grand Valley State University student Dorian Fedewa took part in the protest. He has attended previous city demonstrations and feels community members are increasingly compelled to join rallies. 

Fedewa noted the “Hands Off” gathering and similar actions have the ability to foster solidarity in times that many deem “hopeless.”

“That feeling of solidarity helps give people hope and also helps show the leaders of Grand Rapids (and) the police department that we’re not going to put up with repression and oppression,” Fedewa said.

Community member Susie Krupp said she’s felt downhearted by the state of political affairs in the United States. Yet, she voiced her excitement about the nationwide demonstrations and is hoping for “dramatic” political change.

“I really hope and feel like this could be the tide that changes things,” Krupp said.

Organizers said the rally on GVSU’s campus aimed to draw attention to the military action and humanitarian crisis taking place in Gaza. 

Israel declared war on Hamas, a militant, terrorist group, on Oct. 8 following Hamas’ killing of 1,400 people and taking about 240 others hostages in a cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Israeli military action in Gaza has escalated since. Now, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as of Nov. 4, 9,448 people are dead and as of Nov. 2, the Associated Press reported 40% of the deceased are children. This has led many people in the U.S. and abroad to call for a ceasefire and advocate for further action to support Palestinians currently and on a long-term basis. 

At the rally, the protesters chanted slogans that expressed their anger at politicians and the Biden administration for passing a $14.5 billion military aid package to Israel. 

“Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” they declared.  Another chant asked Israeli Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu “How many kids have you killed today?” Other chants included “By the millions, by the billions, we are all Palestinians,” “Ethnic cleansing is a crime,” “Fight for our liberation, down with the occupation,” and “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.” 

GVSU Junior Minna Abdel-Moemen led many of the chants at the rally. Abdel-Moemen is not a part of YDSA but wanted to come out and show her support for the message of the rally regardless. 

“I haven’t heard many people speaking about it, kind of like what I did with what happened with Ukraine and Russia,” Abdel-Moemen said. “So we wanted to bring awareness to the students about the issue, maybe cause them to think like, ‘Oh, what is that?’ and then they’ll read about it, you know, kind of spark an interest to learn more about the topic.” 

Although Abdel-Moemen is Arab, she feels the issue is not isolated to a certain nationality or ethnicity. She said all people are personally affected and connected to what is happening in Gaza. 

“Any human being should see what’s going on and see that humans are dying,” Abdel-Moemen said. “That should be enough for people to realize and feel emotionally connected.” 

Although this rally was the first pro-Palestine rally held on GVSU’s campus following the official declaration of war, many protests for Palestine or Israel have taken place across hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S. Similarly, other protests, both in support of Israel and Palestine took place in Grand Rapids toward the beginning of October. 

YDSA President and third-year student at GVSU Jessica Koerkel said YDSA decided to hold the protest as a way to “mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living.” She said the rally was a way to have a Palestinian movement on campus and to voice student perspectives.   

“We came here to show our solidarity with Palestinians, to show that what’s happening isn’t right,” Koerkel said. “It’s (the conflict is) still ongoing, and to say that we don’t want our money to be spent funding that (Israeli military) and that we want change to happen.” 

Koerkel invited Grand Rapids groups Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression to take part in the rally. Additionally, Owen Frassetto, a sophomore at GVSU and YDSA Vice President, spoke at the campus rally.  

“We must advocate for a single state in Palestine as well as the lands which are currently known as Israel,” Frassetto said. “We must advocate for a united Palestine where all of its citizens, Palestinian, Jewish, Christian, so on, they (can) all live in equality.” 

No counter-protest was formed other than one GVSU student, sophomore Ryan Flynn, who sat opposite the rally with an Israeli flag taped onto the back of his computer. Flynn said he was not there to argue with the rally, but instead to condemn the actions of Hamas and defend Israel’s existence. 

“We will continue to protest, quietly, peacefully, respectfully until every one of our hostages are returned,” Flynn said. “I don’t want to see or be subjected to the death of innocent Palestinians either. Genocide shouldn’t go either way. I stand for the people of both sides.”

Flynn said he sat in support of his “Jewish brothers” and community. 

“The way I see it, if maybe just one Jewish kid is scared of what they’re seeing and they see me out here, see my star (on the Israeli flag), or my necklace (of the star of David) and they feel a little safer, then it’s all worth it,” Flynn said. 

Flynn and the protestors did not interact throughout the demonstration. The rally was peaceful, leading to discussions within the community about what was happening politically and emotionally abroad and in the U.S. 

One person rode by the protest on a skateboard and said “F*ck Israelis, f*ck the Jews…. Well, not all the Jews, but like some of them.” The student was not affiliated with the rally directly, but the statement echoes Flynn’s concerns regarding antisemitism rising from the conflict. 

Following the events of Oct. 7, antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise. Reuters reported data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) “showed a 388% rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S.” from Oct. 7 to Oct. 23 compared to last year. Additionally, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) “received 774 complaints of incidents motivated by Islamophobia and bias against Palestinians and Arabs” from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24. 

As the war continues in Israel and Gaza, many people are advocating for individuals to stay up to date on the current events. 

Abdel-Moemen said the issue in Israel in Gaza “doesn’t just go back to October 7” and that Palestinians have faced “75 years of occupation.” She wants people to continue to read the long history of the issue and where the issue is today. 

“I think I would just encourage other students to really try and read about the topic, hear both perspectives,” Abdel-Moemen said.

As Grand Valley State University president Philomena Mantella said in a statement, many in the GVSU community were impacted by the “horrific violence” at MSU as “terror was inflicted upon” friends, loved ones and relatives.

In the week following the tragedy, GVSU students organized both a vigil in honor of the victims and a rally for legislative action against gun violence.

The vigil, organized by the GVSU Student Senate, took place on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. 

Emily Bucon, Student Senate vice president of public relations, said the senate immediately felt the need to show support for students at MSU and GVSU following the tragedy. 

“Even though we’re at a different campus, it’s undoubtedly students who are also affected by these tragedies,” Bucon said. “Whether they know students or not, it’s still just a horrifying experience.” 

Jackson Hicks, who attended the vigil, said it was important for both MSU and GVSU students to honor victims and have a moment of reflection as a community.

“For students at MSU, it shows that we are with them, that we are here in support of them, that we have friends, we have family that go there,” Hicks said. “For Grand Valley students, it’s a good reminder that even when things happen off campus, we can still come together and have a moment of respect and peace with each other.”

Hicks said he’s aware that some of his hopes for gun reform in the US are lofty, and likely will never become reality. However, he still feels that it’s something worth fighting for.

“So long as there are people out there who are willing to fight for it and fight for a change where, one day, we don’t have to look around our shoulders when we go to class, then we have to continue fighting that fight because it is good and it is right,” Hicks said. 

Political science major and rally co-organizer Nancy Hoogwerf said she reached out to GVSU College Democrats’ President Jacob Welch the day following the shooting at MSU, hoping to dispel the feeling of hopelessness. 

The rally was held at the Cook Carillion Tower at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18. Organizers encouraged GVSU students and community members to bring signs and speak in support of MSU students and gun reform. In addition to students, several Michigan legislators spoke, including Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and state representatives John Fitzgerald and Carol Glanville.

“It means a lot to see state legislators come out and speak on how they hear us and they support us,” Hoogwerf said. “It feels like I’m not screaming into an empty box anymore, it feels like I’m actually being listened to.”

Scholten, Glanville and Fitzgerald all spoke about the changes newly elected democrats would bring to the state regarding gun reform. 

“We made a huge difference in who we send to represent us in Lansing and in Washington, DC and we’re seeing the impact of that difference every single day,” Scholten said in her speech. “We have so much more that we can do. I take my responsibility to keep you safe.” 

Hoogwerf said in addition to showing up for vigils and protests, it’s important that students – and all voters – keep tabs on decisions their representatives make in office. 

Many who spoke at the rally talked about the worry they felt for friends at MSU, their safety on their own college campus and referenced the shooting at Oxford High School, near Detroit, Michigan, in November of 2021.

Jackie Adema, a freshman at GVSU, was a senior at Oxford High School when the shooting took place. Adema said it was upsetting to think of her friends who had to experience a school shooting twice in their lives in such a short period of time. 

“Having another experience like this, just throws them off their course,” Adema said. “You’re already doing something so hard. It’s really upsetting to me.”

While Adema said the news is deeply upsetting and disheartening, she hopes students across the state will learn how to talk to survivors about their experiences and support them as they begin to heal. 

“Going through something like this is really hard and a lot of people don’t know what to say to try and make it better, or try and make it easier,” Adema said. “I think they need to know it’s safe to come to you to talk about it if they want to.”

Adema said as someone who experienced a school shooting, seeing support from people both in and outside of her community had a powerful impact on her. She hopes that in addition to posting on social media, people will support organizations fighting for gun reform. 

In addition to supporting students, Bucon said the Student Senate is dedicated to working with GVSU administration regarding safety on campus.

In her statement to the GVSU community, Mantella said GVSU’s Critical Incident Response Team is evaluating the university’s current protocols and has offered support to MSU’s Student Affairs Division in the wake of the tragedy. GVSU’s University Counseling center and employee assistance program were also highlighted by Mantella as resources for those struggling with their mental health in the wake of the tragedy.

The Grand Rapids region, once known as a reliable Republican bastion, has become a critical battleground for both parties in recent elections as the region has trended increasingly toward the Democratic party.

In 2018, Governor Gretchen Whitmer carried the county with 50.5% of the vote, followed by President Biden’s 51.9% in 2020, making him only the second Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county in over 50 years.

State Representative Carol Glanville, D-Walker, testified to the region’s ideological shift on Sunday night, citing her recent flipping of a Republican seat in a special election earlier this year.

“I currently serve the 74^th House District here in the Grand Rapids area which is Grandville, Walker and north Kent County,” Glanville said. “That district had been a Republican stronghold for 40 years until May of 2022.”

Democrats like Glanville are hoping to repeat their recent success in the region in Tuesday’s elections. With newly drawn legislative districts following the 2020 Census, Democrats have expressed optimism in their ability to flip seats and aim for majorities in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate.

“It is this energy, it is this attitude here in West Michigan where people are ready to come together and do the hard work and get it done that got me over the finish line with a 52% win,” Glanville said. “We are going to do it again on Nov. 8. We’re going to hold my seat, we’re going to collect up the rest of these House seats and we are going to send a majority to help Gretchen Whitmer do the good work that needs to be done here in the state of Michigan.”

Local Democrats were joined by members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, including the state’s two Democratic U.S. Senators, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow.

The senators, neither of whom are up for reelection during this election cycle, promoted the candidacy of in-state Democrats while also focusing on narratives pushed by the national party. Such included their concerns over what they see as an American democracy in peril as well as the accomplishments of a unified Democratic Washington.

“We took on the drug companies, we took on Big Oil, we took on the gun lobby, we took on corporations who don’t pay their taxes and we won,” Stabenow said. “So, when people tell you there’s no difference between Republicans and Democrats, you just repeat that back to them.”

Alongside candidates in tight races on the local and national level, multiple speakers coalesced around their support for the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s newly drawn 3^rd U.S. Congressional District, Hillary Scholten. Scholten, who would be the first woman in the U.S. House of Representatives from West Michigan if elected, is engaged in one of the tightest congressional races in the nation and one of the most likely Democratic pickups in a year that is expected to be a difficult fight for the party to maintain its majority in the U.S. House.

“In just two short days, we have an opportunity to send a message to our state, to our country and to the entire world about who we are and what we stand for here in West Michigan by flipping Michigan’s 3^rd Congressional District and sending the first Democrat in 50 years and the first woman in history to represent this district,” Scholten said as she took the stage.

Scholten, whose candidacy is seen as a key priority by state and national Democrats alike, sought to use the rally as an opportunity to highlight the viability of what she sees as a common-ground coalition her campaign has aimed to form.

“We are at a crossroads right now here in West Michigan and on our campaign, we are building something new: a new political home for people on the right and the left who are ready to put politics aside and build a better, stronger West Michigan for all,” Scholten said.

Following Scholten’s address to the crowd, the rally concluded with appearances from Whitmer and her running mate, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, in which the pair sought to impress upon the crowd the importance of voting in midterm elections and encouraging others to do the same.

“Every one of us has a personal stake in this election and we know midterm elections maybe don’t often get the same turnout, but they matter so much,” Whitmer said.

In speaking to what has become a key swing area of the state, Whitmer appealed to voters’ humanity and shared identities in attempting to rally support for her cause.

“We mobilize, we pull people into this moment and we fight for every person in this state – regardless of all the ugliness that we’ve had to deal with,” Whitmer said. “That’s what leadership is about, that’s what Michigan is about, that’s who we are.”

Following the event, Whitmer told the Lanthorn that the decision to join the rally at GVSU as the final stop of her cross-state tour was rooted in what she sees as the importance of the college demographic in the election.

“College students and the youth vote are incredibly important,” Whitmer said. “They have the longest stake in the outcome of this election – in the outcome of every election and we’ve got a lot to fight for right now. Voting rights, reproductive rights, civil rights, the ability to live without discrimination, to get a degree without going into a life of debt, to combat climate change – all of these things are on this ballot and that’s why we wanted to be on a GVSU campus with the amazing Hillary Scholten.”

With the city of Grand Rapids and both GVSU’s Pew and Allendale campuses falling under the new 3^rd Congressional District, Scholten told the Lanthorn that GVSU was especially important to her campaign that has sought to ensure a visible presence on campus throughout the waning months of the election.

“Michigan’s 3^rd Congressional District depends on the youth vote getting out,” Scholten said. “It is the top congressional district in the entire country where youth will have an outsized impact in flipping a district red to blue. We need these students to vote, we know they’re our future.”

As Grand Rapids and Kent County have solidified themselves as crucial to the success of either major party, many will look to the region as its likely critical results begin to pour in on Election Day.

Filled with ‘Make America Great Again’ flags, shirts, hats and more, attendees showed their pride for President Trump as they drove through, and more gathered following the drive-through to hear from local speakers on stage. There were kids, adults, students and grandparents in attendance, with many choosing to forgo wearing a mask or practice social distancing.

The rally’s featured speakers included Katherine Henry, the founder of the Restore Freedom Initiative and the owner and lead attorney of Katherine Henry PC law firm, as well as Ryan Kelley, a member of Allendale’s Township’s planning commission.

In her speech, Henry defended protestors who went to the Lansing capitol building to express their dissent over the COVID-19 regulations that Governor Gretchen Whitmer has imposed, and also called for the freeing of the Null brothers, William and Michael, who were Allendale locals arrested in connection with the kidnapping plot against Governor Whitmer that was foiled earlier this month.

“I don’t care what any of those guys have done as far as what the court of public opinion and mainstream media is trying to do to them,” Henry said. “I can tell you that not a single one of you would ever want to be locked up and thrown away without ever having your day in court, without ever having the right to properly defend yourself.”

The statement was followed with Henry citing that Governor Whitmer is still waking free, despite many people’s anger with her recent decisions. The statement was followed by cheers of “lock her up” from many attendees. Henry then went on to explain some things that attendees should remember, including that God gave the people their rights, not the government, and that it is the government’s duty to protect those rights.

Henry’s firm has created the Restore Freedom Initiative and a subsequent petition with the goal of reining in power the government has taken, prevent future abuses of power by the governor, legislature and courts, even in times of crisis, war or emergency, and restoring Michigan to a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

During her speech at the rally, Henry called on attendees to hold their local and state government accountable for stripping away their rights with regulations. She highlighted the fact that paying attention to what the constitution says and allows is important, and that the government has been ignoring its authority. In her closing statements, Henry encouraged attendees to educate themselves on the Michigan constitutions and what liberties and freedoms they protect, and hold governmental officials accountable.

“There are a lot of laws that are unconstitutional, like the garbage that they just past this last week,” Henry said. “The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and if the state or federal constitution does not give the right to act in a certain way, then they can’t do it, period. I don’t care who they are, what political party they belong to – they need to answer to we the people. We should not have to ask permission to live our lives.”

The rally’s second speaker was Kelley, who brought energy and family values to the table, highlighting the anger and censoring that Trump supporters have faced both on and offline for expressing their views and practicing their rights.

“Today is a very special day for America because we have something going on all over the place and we have had many forces working against us,” Kelley said. “Facebook has taken our event page down and has deleted so many people’s pages. They are censoring your voice, my voice, and all of the voices that love America. But, what disheartens us does not stop us, and the things that we know are right we continue to fight for.”

Kelley went on to encourage supporters to sign the petition created by Henry, and to encourage attendees to continue speaking out, disparaging Governor Whitmer’s decisions at the same time. He also gave a special thanks to the many “militia men and women” that attended the rally and march, highlighting his belief that they are peaceful people that love America.

“We know that you guys and gals are peaceful, we know that you love this country, and we know that you stand united with us,” Kelley said. “We know that you are pro-law enforcement, pro-constitution, pro-government, pro-law and order, and we appreciate you.”

Kelley has been under scrutiny for his supposed relationship with a militia member charged last week in connection to an alleged plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer. On October 12, Allendale Township Supervisor Adam Elenbaas said that Kelley would not be removed from his position on the township’s planning commission, even after calls by community members and local organizations requesting his ousting. Kelley previously admitted to FOX17 earlier this month that he briefly met William Null, and possibly his brother Michael, at a rally in Allendale earlier this year, but says the relationship never extended beyond that setting.

The Patriot Rally also drew another group of local protesters who were there calling for Kelley’s removal. The group held signs and chanted for his removal, referring to him as “KKKelley,” and chanting for the removal of confederate statues in the area with the chant “rise up, take it down.” The protest was sponsored by Justice for Black Lives, a local non-profit organization founded in Grand Rapids that focuses on making legislative and community-based changes for people of color.

The protest featured a number of speakers, including leaders from Justice for Black lives who urged people not to be complacent with the racism that is present in Allendale and the rest of the country today, and highlighted that slavery has existed for hundreds of years, and will continue to exist if not fought.

“Let’s not be tricked into this illusion of thinking that because racism and capitalism have always been a present force in our lifetime that this must be how it is,” one speaker said. “The shoulders that I stand on have 100 years of slavery behind then, and another 250 years of slavery in front of them… I don’t have the right to give up. I won’t stop, I can’t stop and I am demanding justice now. Justice for Black Lives Matter wants Ryan Kelley removed from the planning board now, we have been calling for his removal all summer and they say our voices are heard, yet he still sits on the board.”

Another attendee and speaker at the protest was GVSU global studies and political science student and activist Phoebe Risk, who led a chant about the fact that Black lives should matter in Allendale and everywhere else – but specifically in Allendale, many feel that local politicians don’t prioritize them or care about their safety.

“Do Black lives matter? Yes,” Risk said during her speech. “Do Black lives matter in Allendale? Yes. Do politicians (in Allendale) think so? No. Does Ryan Kelley think so? No. I learned from my time studying abroad in Senegal West Africa about the importance of community, and that even someone doesn’t look like you, even if they don’t speak like you, if they don’t think like you, they still matter. If you are an Allendale resident, you belong here, and if you are not an Allendale resident you belong here, and what we are fighting for is important.”

Later in her speech, she also highlighted the issue of redlining in Allendale, which is the systematic denial of various services by federal government agencies, local governments as well as the private sector either directly or through the selective raising of prices. Minority communities have been directly affected by this in many rural areas and cities across the United States. The most well-known examples of redlining have involved denial of financial services such as banking or insurance. Redlining was particularly present during the housing crises of 1933.

The counter protestors remained at Allendale City hall for the rest of the America Patriot Rally, chanting and rotating various speakers from the area. Despite a few bitter words shared in passing by attendees from the separate rallies, no threats of violence were made and each event proceeded peacefully. While there were many firearms present, no arrests or discharges of any firearms occurred.

Following the rally’s speaker conclusion, the group marched along the road for a time with signs and flags, and then concluded. There were supporters and disapprovers of the President and his administration in attendance, and most were content with the fact that the rally resumed peacefully.

“What I’m out here doing is showing support for everyone’s future, men, women and children,” one attendee, who backs President Trump said, “I believe he will create a better future, and Biden just wants to control us.”

Another attendee, who expressed support for Biden, said that ultimately, the goal of coming together is what she wants to see, and that the division that is occurring will only get worse if we have four more years of Donald Trump, and it will continue to exist even if Joe Biden wins.

“Honestly, we’re going to need to work together to better America no matter who is in the White House in November,” she said. “I attended today because I want to show my support for my candidate, but I also want to hear from people on the other side so that I know what their values are, and can hopefully work with them, not against them, to make good change for all of us moving forward. All of this hate and divisiveness has to stop, I know it won’t ever go away fully, but we can start doing something about it right now by having hard discussions about important issues.”