Around 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Angle Lake Park in SeaTac and 400 in Des Moines on Saturday, April 5, 2025 to protest recent federal policies affecting education, immigration, gender identity, workers’ rights and more.

These were part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protests, organized locally by a consortium of labor unions and endorsed by over a dozen organizations, and featured speeches from local leaders and civil rights advocates.

The SeaTac rally began at Noon at Angle Lake Park with various speakers, including longtime Highline High School teacher and Highline Education Association (HEA) President Jebb Binns, along with SeaTac City Councilmembers Senayet Negusse, James W. Lovell and Iris Guzmán and others.

The Des Moines rally was held at Big Catch Plaza from 1-2 p.m.

After hearing speakers, SeaTac protesters marched to the Federal Detention Center on S. 200th Street, peacefully expressing their concerns over the detention of immigrants and the administration’s policies. The permitted march blocked the southbound lanes of International Blvd. for around an hour.

No counter protests or disturbances were witnessed by this reporter.

Speakers addressed a range of issues, including the abolition of the Department of Education, the imprisonment of immigrants in federal detention centers, and the mass firing of federal workers. They emphasized the impact of these policies on public services and civil rights.

The protest was part of a broader series of “Hands Off!” demonstrations occurring nationwide, with similar events taking place in around 1,500 cities around the nation. These coordinated efforts aim to push back against what organizers describe as escalating attacks on working-class and marginalized people by the current administration.

Organizers have expressed intentions to continue such actions to advocate for the protection of civil rights and public services.