SCRANTON — A personal tie to Scranton brought the U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to the city’s version of the national Hands Off! protest.
She was a surprise speaker at Courthouse Square, delighting a crowd of a few hundred people who called who briefly chanted her name after she spoke on a wet day. Pelosi was in Scranton for the wedding of the grandson of her college roommate and the maid-of-honor at her wedding, the late Cecelia Lynett Haggerty.
She started with a focus on Medicaid, saying about 30 percent of Lackawanna County uses the federal low-income and disability health insurance program. She went on to refer to President Donald J. Trump as “what’s his name,” and thank Scranton for naming a street after former President Joe Biden.
Pelosi, who recently gave up her trademark high heels, wore immaculate beige sneakers with a lace design, which appeared to be from the Chloé brand, a dark green tartan raincoat and pearl earrings and necklace. She spoke for a few minutes, behind a podium with an “Abington Democrats” sign, beginning just before the planned noon start time, during a respite from rain.
Without the wedding, she would be rallying in her hometown of San Francisco, Pelosi told the crowd, prompting a few to call out “Thank you, Nancy.”
Gail Jackson, of Olyphant, arrived 45 minutes before the rally was scheduled to start with two friends and a homemade sign.
“I can’t think of one policy of the President’s that I am in favor of,” she said. “I am appalled at what is going on in our government right now and I just can’t believe Elon Musk is allowed free reign in the White House when he is not an elected official.”
Jackson is a retired teacher.
“Why are none of our congressmen and senators standing up and saying stop? Why is this being allowed?” Jackson said.
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Kathleen Zinskie, of Olyphant, who said she is descended from 14 Revolutionary War soldiers, made a sign that said: “I descend from those who would not be ruled by a king.” (MELISSA JANOSKI/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Demostrators gather on Courthouse Square in Scranton on a rainy Saturday to protest the President
Donald Trump and his administration. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
Another Hands Off! Event was scheduled in Wilkes-Barre later on Saturday, without Pelosi.
The primary local organizer is Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania, a progressive group that has endorsed Democratic candidates.
On Friday, ahead of the rally, Jessica Brittain, communications director for Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania, said the goal was “to publicly say that they are not willing to accept what the Trump administration and Congress have been doing. Ripping away many, many services for constituents here in NEPA and across the country, stealing private data with Elon Musk. We have so many folks in this region who rely on services like Medicaid, who rely on nutritional assistance through the SNAP program, who rely on rental assistance that is on the chopping block and that is just scratching the surface. We are seeing the attacks on the National park Service and massive cuts to the VA when we should be doing more, not less to service our veterans.”
Speakers scheduled for Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square included: State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre; Jimmy Romanelli R.N., a Geisinger Wyoming Valley nurse; John Hellman, a Pike County activist and drag queen; and Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, executive director, Action Together Northeastern Pennsylvania.