SAFFORD — Less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump gave his State of the Union speech to Congress, area residents unhappy with the president’s policies and actions took to the streets.
About a dozen people were at the corner of U.S. Highway 70 and 20th Avenue in Safford on Wednesday afternoon, protesting the Trump administration.
“We’re upset in the direction things are going. We’re really interested in justice, human rights and, especially, due process,” said Larry Vordermann.
Moving away from colorful costumes and flashy placards of previous protests, those taking part Wednesday carried stark, black-and white signs showing, what they called, “Signs of fascism,” such as racial profiling, voter suppression, fear mongering and rewriting of history.
“We’ve had these feelings for a long time,” Vordermann said.
It was the second protest of the Trump administration in Graham County this year and the ninth since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
