Protestors outside the Oregon State Capitol expressed concern that America is becoming an authoritarian dictatorship under President Donald Trump during a rally Tuesday afternoon. 

About 300 people gathered along both sides of Northeast Center Street by noon and many held signs expressing support for Ukraine, immigrants, trans rights and contempt for the Trump administration’s policies.

Protestors cited Trump’s threats to jail or deport protestors, the mass firing of federal workers, the indiscriminate cuts to federal agencies and the administration’s attacks against the press among others as a few reasons why they feel America is sliding into dictatorship. 

The protest is the third near the Capitol in Salem since Trump’s inauguration. Like others, it was organized by a local chapter of a loosely organized national group called 50501. Other groups including the progressive Indivisible movement were present. Local organizers for both groups declined to identify themselves to Salem Reporter, citing safety concerns. 

“We are at the end. We are at the end of democracy. And I fully believe in a democratic society and I fully believe that it’s the end,” said Bridget Losch of Salem. “So, without us being out now, we will be under an authoritarian regime. Which we kind of are.” 

Losch said she has tried to come to all the recent local Salem protests but said it has been difficult finding consistent information from 50501. 

Andrew Johnson, an Iraq war veteran, stood with a megaphone at the intersection of Northeast Winter Street and Northeast Center Street. 

“The billionaire class is our enemy!” he screamed into the megaphone as traffic whooshed by. “Nobody needs a billion dollars! It is stolen from all of us!” 

Johnson, 40, said over the course of his life the standard of living in America has deteriorated and he feels disillusioned about his role serving in the military. 

“We are the ones that go and do all the horrible crap that they want to keep the empire afloat, and now it is literally falling down and crumbling around us,” Johnson said. “They leave the entire country here falling apart… the roads are rotten, the infrastructure is crumbling, they don’t give a crap about us. Health care is not a right. Housing is not a right.” 

Johnson said in the past he leaned more conservative, but over time he became more liberal. He said he is sickened by the current state of the nation. 

“Now we don’t care about our own people, or even our neighbors, or even our fellow men. We worry about making profits for a handful of people, the billionaire class,” Johnson said. “That’s what we care most about is that the stock goes up but meanwhile they will cut school lunches for kids.” 

Some protestors turned aggressive after a single Trump supporter showed up to the protest at around 2 p.m. wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and Trump shirt and began waving a Trump flag. The man was quickly surrounded by protestors who heckled him. The man verbally threatened protestors.

At least one physical altercation occurred between the Trump supporter and protestors which eventually drew a police presence. It was unclear who initiated physical contact. 

Police officers from both the Salem Police Department and Oregon State Police stood watch. 

While Losch fundamentally disagrees with Trump supporters, she said she believes the Trump supporter who came to the protest had a right to be there. 

“It is what democracy is. And as much as we might not like what other people do, it is our country, and it is the way it was founded, and it is what I am going to fight for until the day that I die,” Losch said, crying. 

Savannah Roberts of Salem attempted to engage the single Trump supporter and to ask him a question. Given the atmosphere she was unsuccessful, but she said dialogue is the only way to bridge the gap. 

“I don’t think you can change people’s minds if you can’t have honest discourse with them. Obviously I don’t agree with him, but I also don’t think that the only way to get people to see the truth is to tell them they are wrong, I think that you have to show them they are wrong,” Roberts said. “I think people won’t see that things are bad unless they see it for themselves. And how do you see that your own people are being hurt and justify that?” 

Roberts said she came to the protest on Tuesday because she believes democracy itself is at stake. As a woman in America, she said, her rights have particularly been assaulted.

“And that wasn’t enough. And now they are deporting people. En masse. And now they are firing people. For no reason … and now we are turning our backs on our allies,” Roberts said. “Literally threatening World War III to buddy up with Russia. I mean there are Nazi salutes happening behind the presidential podium. I don’t know what’s at stake…I guess everything’s at stake.” 

When it comes to the Trump supporter she said she doesn’t have an issue with someone supporting a political candidate for political reasons. 

“We can all have political differences but there comes a point where you realize that things have gone too far,” Roberts said. “There comes a point where you have to say, ‘Hey, enough is enough, and this is just wrong. This is un-American. It’s undemocratic. It’s not right. It’s enough.’ And we have to stop it, before there’s no stopping it. We are running out of time.” 

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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