Hands Off rally in Chester draws large, peaceful crowd

By Shawn Cunningham and Cynthia Prairie
© 2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC

A crowd of around 500 showed up on the Chester Green on chilly, gray Saturday to send a message to the Trump administration and that message was “Hands Off.” Protesters brought mostly hand-made signs that expressed the taxpayer-funded services and rights they wanted left alone or restored, among them: Social Security, due process and kinder immigration policies, education, a free press, Medicare and Medicaid.

But it was the actions of billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency – DOGE – that came in for some of the most pointed criticism, including calls to deport the world’s richest man.

The protest – which was scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to noon – was organized by the Chester Democratic Committee, and was part of a larger, nationwide day of protest set in motion by groups such as Indivisible and Women’s March. More than 1,250 events were held throughout the country — about 24 in Vermont alone — attracting more than 6 million people.

In Chester, most of the participants were local, but it still attracted people from nearby towns including Grafton, Weston, Andover, Saxtons River, Londonderry and Springfield. Some made the trip from greater distances including Brownsville, Vt., several towns in New Hampshire and even Massachusetts. While the crowd skewed to those with gray hair, there were quite a number of families with young children and a good representation by dogs.

Several people spoke to the gathering including town Democratic Committee chair Nick Boke, Robert Nied, Aimee Parnell, Renee Nied and Steve Dock. Windsor County state Sens. Alison Clarkson and Becca White also joined sign-wavers and even made brief remarks, before heading to rallies in the northern part of the county.

Dock, who with Anne Kelley Henshaw organized the event, said that Henshaw lined up the speakers while Evan Parks pulled together the sound and music.

On Sunday, Henshaw said, “I asked these individuals because I knew they believed in the power of community, collaborative activism, and the need to maintain hope and stamina in the face of the challenges ahead. …  I knew they would reaffirm … that together we stand stronger…”

She added that each person talked about how the Trump administration has “negatively impacted them, their families and their communities.”

Boke spoke of the need for continuing activism and reminded the crowd of Molly Ferris, who for many years was a Saturday fixture on the Green as she protested for peace. Robert Nied told the crowd that demonstrations are not a waste of time and have resulted in real change, saying “… today across the country, streets are full of people who are willing … and ready to lead this country with compassion and vision.”

Parnell spoke of her experience in the Peace Corps and the value of USAID, a federal agency that specializes in “soft diplomacy” through education and medical aid worldwide and that the administration is trying to shutter, while Renee Nied spoke of this movement as a tide that should lift all boats, not just the yachts.

In closing, Dock thanked the crowd for coming and bringing their energy and voices to make a difference. “We have no choice but to act and confront the unfolding tragedy that is happening around us,” said Dock who then asked those gathered to make sure they leave the Green as clean as they found it out of respect for the community.

It went as expected, it was peaceful
and a lot larger than anticipated.

– Chester Police Chief Tom Williams

Chester Police Chief Tom Williams was on hand at the east end of the Green. He told The Telegraph the police presence was to ensure there was no trouble.

“It went as expected, it was peaceful and a lot larger than anticipated,” Williams said as the rally wound down. “And no matter what the event, it’s always good getting to see and speak with the community.”

Little in the way of counter protest

While organizers were expecting some measure of counter protest, the only indication of that was one man who held a “Support DOGE” sign while another drove a boom truck sporting Trump flags back and forth on Main Street every few minutes.

A few protesters jeered and flashed their signs at the truck driver, but organizers had asked the gathering to simply turn their backs when he drove by. And according to Dock, the national organization had also asked that people not engage with counter protesters and to remain peaceful.

At a little after noon, as many demonstrators could be seen walking back to their cars, a handful of stalwarts continued to show their signs to passing cars as the rain came down.

A surprise turnout; organizing for the future

On Sunday, Dock told The Telegraph that he had learned of the April 5 Hands Off national demonstration through an organization called Third Act and thought “Wow, I wonder if we could do that in Chester.”

Dock said he approached Town Manager Julie Hance, who said that the Green is a public space, but asked that rally-goers not interfere with traffic and clean up after themselves. He also got a thumbs up from the police and ambulance departments. At that point, he said he thought the event might attract 30 to 50 people.

He registered with Hands Off and began to get sign-ups by those who said they were coming. By 9:30 on Saturday morning, 170 people had registered but with the weather looking cool and possibly rainy, Dock said he was hoping for a turnout of 50 to 70. By 10:30 the number was closing in on 300 and by 11:30 a.m., with a light rain falling for about 15 minutes and some protesters heading home, two separate head-counts conducted by The Telegraph, found between 435 and 450 people still attending. As the numbers continued to grow throughout the morning, so did the organizers’ surprise at the turnout.

One thing the organization said it wanted to do was respect the businesses on the Green. “The local organization also asked people not to park on the Green and (also) to patronize the nearby businesses,” said Dock.

As for the future of such demonstrations, Dock said, “One demonstration won’t change the course of this administration. There will be more, we have to be prepared to do it again and again.”

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