Protests at Forest Grove flagpole grow over Trump, Musk, and Ukraine

At least two protests in Forest Grove in February have drawn increasingly larger groups of people to the flagpole protesting President Donald Trump's administration, Ukraine policies, and tech billionaire Elon Musk's influence in the federal government.

A small protest held Feb. 15 drew around 20 people to what has become a common protest spot in Forest Grove: the giant flagpole east of Safeway at the triangle formed by the start of Forest Grove's one-way grid.

There, with snow still lingering on the ground, protesters were focused on their opposition to Elon Musk's role in the federal government vis-à-vis the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The protest was spearheaded by Forest Grove City Councilor Donna Gustafson.

"There are many residents in Forest Grove with concerns about what is happening at the federal level and how it affects our DEIA progress, medicare/medicaid, our private information and the security of our nation," Gustafson said in an emailed statement to News in the Grove. "I wanted to give the residents a place and a way to make their voices heard and let them know we are fighting for them. These violations to our constitution are crimes. Trump, Musk and so many others in his administration should already be in prison," said Gustafson, who was re-elected to a second term in November.

Tori Eaton was there with her six-year-old daughter.

"I'm here protesting with our daughter because our government is leading into fascism," Eaton said. "They're letting a billionaire be in charge instead of following the constitutional laws, and it's very concerning," Eaton said.

80-year-old Michael Colvin said he was there to peacefully protest.

"This has to start somewhere, and politics is always local," Colvin said, adding that he wanted to associate with groups trying to work first locally, and then nationally.

"I'd like to leave the country in better shape than I found it, which wasn't really good then," Colvin said with a chuckle, noting he was born in 1944 near the end of WW2.

"We've been fighting these battles all along, and it's just gotta continue, I think, until we really become the nation that we're supposed to be," he added.

Isabelle B., who declined to give a last name, joined the protest while it was underway.

"I was just driving by and saw that people were out here and I was like 'Ok this is awesome,'" Isabelle, a 22-year-old Forest Grove resident, said.

"I'm out here today because it's really terrifying what is going on in the U.S. right now in terms of rising fascism and the rise of the ruling class merging with the government," Isabelle said.

"We gotta fight fascism with everything we've got, and until we're able to overthrow capitalism, this type of shit's going to keep happening," Isabelle added.

A significantly larger crowd gathered at the flagpole on Friday, Feb. 28.

Nearly 50 people joined a protest in response to President Donald Trump's policies on the Russo-Ukrainian War.

It was just a few days after the three-year anniversary of the Feb. 24, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to an email from Beth Genly, the event was spearheaded by the nascent group Indivisible Forest Grove, a local branch of a national movement.

Many attendees told News in the Grove they joined after watching a press conference between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance during which Vance and Trump confronted Zelenskyy in a stunning public thrashing over what they characterized as his insufficient gratitude for U.S. financial support of Ukraine's war effort.

Dale Feik, a Forest Grove resident since 1966, described the press conference held earlier that day at the Oval Office and said he was there to urge the U.S. to support Ukraine's war efforts, and to oppose the Trump administration.

"We've got to counter Trump, Musk, and Vance, and the cabinet he's selected," Feik said. "The United States is in deep trouble, we need to have more people here than are here, we need to let everybody know we have a constitutional crisis. That's why I'm here," he said.

Pacific University professor Kathlene Postma said a social media post about the event brought her to the flagpole.

"I had watched the interview at the Oval Office today and was very disturbed by the turn of events and hostility that I saw against the president of Ukraine," Postma said.

Postma held a canvas she painted shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The colors of the Ukraine flag—blue and yellow—adorn a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, set on a black background.

Postma urged Americans to join her in speaking out.

"It's been devastating to watch what's happening to the Ukrainians, and also to realize that they're just fighting for democracy, to be seen and heard," Postma said. "I'm hoping the U.S. will continue to support them."

On Monday, Trump halted U.S. assistance to Ukraine.