Despite the crisp air and breezy winds of a Michigan Saturday afternoon, several hundred people carrying signs, printouts and easy smiles, with the occasional bout of laughter, pooled in groups of two or more. They were heading towards the pavilion in the middle of Island Park, which was the heart of Mount Pleasant's "Hands Off" protest.

“Hands Off” was a nationwide movement of protests against the United States President Donald Trump's administration, organized by progressive group Indivisible. According to a National Public Radio story published Saturday, April 5, more than 1,300 demonstrations took place across the country that day.

“We’re a bunch of angry people who decided to do something,” Alice Ciccu, a core member of Indivisible Central Michigan, said. “No one in America asked for this.”

Indivisible is a nationwide group that was founded during Trump’s first administration in 2016. According to the website, it was established in response to the results of the 2016 election, and works to “protect democracy.” Though the organization has been around for a while, Ciccu said Indivisible’s Central Michigan chapter organized in early November.

She said the chapter has been organizing this protest since members first heard about the nationwide "Hands Off" movement three or four weeks ago.

“There are over 1,200 of these (protests) today across the United States,” Ciccu said. “There will probably be more, as long as we’re needed.”

Deb Simmons, one of the organizers for Indivisible Central Michigan, said she was in attendance because she is angry at the current state of the country.

Simmons said she is most concerned about cuts to the federal government that have left people in a state of confusion both inside and outside the government, and the influence and power of billionaire Elon Musk, who has spearheaded those efforts.

She said showing up to protests like these nationwide can be a worthwhile effort. Ultimately, she said, such events show community strength.

“It was just a bunch of old women in white shirts … but we’re not alone in this," Simmons said. "We’re all in this together."

Ciccu spoke, along with a line of other speakers, at the music pavilion. The swell of the crowd surrounded it, hand-held signs and posters high.

“It doesn’t matter who you voted for," Ciccu said. “I don’t believe anyone voted for this chaos. The taking of the economy, the taking of our social security and the destruction of our government.

“This event is called Hands Off. Hands off our services, hands off federal workers."

Dennis Kellogg, a sixth-generation farmer also spoke at the protest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am a Michigan farmer,” Kellogg said to cheers from the crowd. “And we’re getting pissed off.”

Kellogg said Trump’s actions are squeezing and ripping away a market for American corn, wheat and soybeans that was already strained and tight, and instead creating a market that is turning toward Brazilian produce and crops even more.

“Twenty-eight billion dollars (in bailouts) to the farmers," Kellogg said. “We don’t want bailouts. We want a market.”

Kellogg said he is also running for Michigan’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I would be your representative, "Kellogg said, "I'll fight for everything till the last breath that I possibly have."

Ellen Petty and Olivia Van Avery, both students at Central Michigan University, said that the recent emails President Neil MacKinnon sent out regarding possible threats to the immigration status of international students drove them to show up.

“We feel for our international students, and that inspired us to come out,” Petty said.