Dozens of people turned out on a rainy and blustery Monday afternoon for the protest, which was organized with Kodiak Pride, the island community’s LGBTQ+ coalition.
Dane Mitchell is one of the event’s planners and said he and the coalition are frustrated by Trump administration actions like eliminating initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We don’t know if we can change the world or move the needle on a national stage, but what we want is for Kodiak to be a safe, inclusive community,” he said.
The goal is to remind people in Kodiak that there are people affected by the federal government’s policies in local communities too.
“We’re not just, y’know, ‘crazy libs,’” Mitchell said “We’re your neighbors and your kid’s teachers, your bankers. Like we just want to be loved and left alone like anyone else.”
Kodiak wasn’t the only place though – similar protests were held across the country and the state, like in Anchorage, Palmer, Homer, Fairbanks, Petersburg, and Ketchikan. Many of the protests were part of the 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.”
Since Trump has taken office, Elon Musk’s Department Of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, has made several moves to revamp the federal government. Some of the most controversial include freezing domestic and foreign aid funds as well as attempting to tariff goods from allied nations like Canada and Mexico.
Kodiak resident Douglas Pengilly held a sign saying “Who elected President Musk?” He said he’s frustrated that the richest man in the world has such access to sensitive, government information.
“I’m all for having presidents elected and somebody who’s elected fairly,” Pengilly said. “That’s fine with me, but the overreach is a little extreme.”
Pengilly is particularly frustrated that departments like the United States Agency for International Development have been torn apart.
Another Kodiak local, Julia Dissen, said she wants to show that there is solidarity in the community for marginalized groups like immigrants, as well as recognize people trying to help them.
“We want to make sure that the community and the lawmakers know that there are people like us that don’t want that to happen,” she said. “So the people that are fighting back against these oppressive and restrictive and horrible laws know that what they’re doing to help protect our rights is appreciated and wanted.”
Mitchell, the organizer, said he and his peers in Kodiak Pride are working to find ways to ensure community unity.
“I think we have an opportunity here – we’re isolated,” Mitchell said. “This is Alaska, we don’t put up with the drama of the lower 48 most of the time anyways, we’re not supposed to. So we want to make sure the bad actors in our community are not emboldened by what’s happening down there.”
The protest ended with organizers collecting contact information to spread information for possible future, similar events.
