Thousands of people lined three busy blocks in Gurnee holding signs protesting President Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs, spending cuts and firings by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
A number of people there have already been impacted or fear what might happen, including a teacher whose students will have fewer opportunities, a business owner who is uncertain how to plan and several senior citizens worried about declining income in their retirement.
Juli Dunsing of Libertyville operates a home inspection business in Lake Bluff. She held a sign reading, “Trump and Musk, keep your hands off my small business.” Between tariffs announced by the president and cuts already implemented, she is nervous over the uncertainty.
“I don’t know how to plan right now,” Dunsing said. “Will people be able to sell their homes? I don’t know if I should hire or cut back. I just don’t know where the economy is going.”
Matthew Weber teaches at Round Lake High School. He was in the crowd with his family. He worries about an executive order issued by Trump on Thursday to strip states of Title I funding if they do not drop diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Round Lake High School — part of Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit School District 116 — is a recipient of Title I funding. Weber said the program helps students most in need of the tools to succeed.
“So many of our students are disadvantaged, and Title I closes the gap and puts them on an even footing with the other students,” he said. “Without that, it will make it much harder for those students to succeed.”
Pat Scott-Casey of Mundelein held a sign reading, “Hands off Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.” A woman who relies on both Social Security to pay her bills and Medicare to maintain her health, said she fears they may be altered.
“I have a mortgage to pay, and I like to eat food,” Scott-Casey said. “If these cuts don’t go away, I’ll have to use my savings until they run out.”
Dunsing, Weber and Scott-Casey were among more than 3,000 demonstrators protesting on two blocks of Grand Avenue and another stretch of Hunt Club Road in Gurnee Saturday as part of the nationwide Hands Off! protests against Trump and Musk.
Participants were out for more than two hours holding signs related to a variety of issues including Social Security, DOGE cuts, the war in Ukraine, the treatment of veterans and more.
As the demonstrators held their signs and offered chants criticizing Trump, Musk and their policies, horn-honking from passing motorists in support of the protestors was nearly constant. The racially diverse crowd ranged from children to seniors, and included union members, immigrants and others.
Organized by the newly formed Northeast Lake County Indivisible, the Lake County Democratic organization and the Lake County Democratic Women, state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, said it was a group effort led by Indivisible.
“People need to be together,” Edly-Allen said. “We need to build community. Donald Trump is trying to avoid the Constitution. He is divisive. We need to show compassion and kindness. We should always be a beacon of hope.”
Keith Brin, the chair of the Lake County Republican Central Committee, said Sunday that Trump’s actions since his Jan. 20 inauguration are part of his effort to fulfill campaign promises. They are being done by a man who got the most votes for president, he pointed out.
“None of this should be a surprise to anybody,” Brin said. “I think these are the same people who will never accept him as a legitimate president, and never agree with him no matter what he does. They are continuing to stoke the fire in these protests.”
Between the sidewalk and roadway on Grand Avenue is a 15-foot-wide grassy area where people also stood with signs as the crowd swelled. As U.S. Rep. Brad Schneder, D-Highland Park, navigated that area, he was continually approached and stopped to talk to people.
As the group around Schneider grew, he spoke so many could hear before moving to the next trio or foursome before another large cluster formed. When Lake County Board member Gina Roberts, D-Beach Park, produced a megaphone, the gaggle got bigger.
“This is what democracy looks like,” Schneider said during a speech with the megaphone only audible on a short stretch of one of the blocks. “Trump is undermining our democracy.”
Spending more than 45 minutes talking to people as he walked up and down Grand Avenue, Schneider said the interaction with the people was unlike any other time he has mingled with a large group.
“I have worked crowds before, but I’ve never experienced a crowd like this before,” Schneider said. “There were families with young children and kids in grade school. There were seniors, people of all ages. This is what democracy should look like.”
One of the seniors was Mary Saville of Lake Forest. She said she was raised in the suburbs, returned as an adult and has taken part in protests since her teenage years. She hopes it will help.
“I’m a hippie boomer, and we knew how to get stuff done,” Saville said. “We ended a war, fought for civil rights and women’s reproductive health.”
Emily Sze of Gurnee came with her husband and two children, ages 10 and 7. She said it is important to expose the youngsters to the outside world. Though they do not understand everything that is happening, they have a good idea of what some of the protesting is about.
“We want them to see what decency looks like,” Sze said. “We want them to know the Constitution and rule of law is important. We are all showing support for our democracy.”
