On July 4, 2026, about 60 people gathered at the Eugene Federal Building to protest President Trump's policies. These included protesters and members of a local Quaker organization.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Roughly 60 people held an Independence Day protest outside Eugene’s federal building for a few hours. It was the first large gathering since a contentious fence was taken down days earlier.
The fence was installed in late April, in response to protests against President Trump’s policies and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement offices inside the facility. Once up, it kept protesters from the facility’s front entrance and upper plaza.
After several weeks of legal back-and-forth in the courts, a federal judge ordered it removed, after the Civil Liberties Defense Center argued it restricted people’s rights to free speech. That development pleased Tom Adair, a protester who wielded a sign commemorating American citizens who were killed by ICE personnel.
“Nobody needs their property fenced off, and the freedom of speech is important,” Adair told KLCC. “So here we are to demonstrate it, and I’m standing right in the spot I’m not supposed to be, or wasn’t supposed to be. It’s ours now, and we’ve got it reclaimed back.”
Local activist Tom Adair stands with his protest sign outside the Eugene Federal Building on July 4, 2026. the flip side shared the names of Renee Good, Keith Porter Jr., and Alex Pretti, U.S. citizens who were killed by ICE personnel.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Nearby, Heather Rhodes waved a sign showing the Statue of Liberty crying before an upside-down American flag. She was greeted with multiple honks and cheers, though a passing truck revved its engine loudly as it passed her.
“I’m just thrilled. I have to do something. It’s the Fourth of July,” said Rhodes, who was also wearing a shirt featuring Rosie the Riveter. “Being the age I am, I was too tiny to do the bicentennial. I’ve been looking forward to 250 for a long time, and seeing it…let’s face it, ruined. It’s really, really hard.”
The national holiday comes at a time when many Americans are feeling polarized, divided, and uncertain about the future of their country. While most exchanges between protesters and traffic showed solidarity and support, a couple in a large pickup paused at the corner to declare support for the president.
“Go, Trump!” repeated the driver, who wore a black MAGA hat. He and several protesters exchanged taunts and a few middle fingers. Aside from that, the event was peaceful.
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At the plaza itself, a Quaker event called the “Declaration of Resistance” was held for an hour, to affirm equality and justice while also denouncing authoritarianism.
John Allcott of the American Friends Service Committee and the Eugene Friends Meeting said it was a special occasion given that it was a national holiday, and that the fence was gone.
“It’s wonderful to be here on the 250th anniversary of our founding, working towards a more perfect union,” he said. “I was here as the fence came down on Wednesday evening, delivering teddy bears for kids that are picked up by ICE, in hopes that they are given to the ICE team to try to restore our radical hospitality.”
John Alcott of the American Friends Service Committee after a "Declaration of Resistance" event organized by local Quakers and supporters wrapped up on July 4, 2026 at Eugene's Federal Building.
Brian Bull / KLCC
In a release, the Civil Liberties Defense Center said it will “continue defending the rights of Eugene residents and all Oregonians to gather, protest, and exercise their First Amendment freedoms in public spaces.”
Brian Bull is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
