Protesters bundled up for the Free America Walkout in Wisconsin Rapids

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – Wisconsin Rapids was one of dozens of Wisconsin communities to participate in the Free America Walkout on Tuesday.

The protest organized nationally by Women’s March asked Americans to walk out of work, school, and commerce to withhold labor, participation and consent, on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s term.

Several dozen people gathered in single digit temperatures on the corner of East Riverview Expressway and Lincoln Street. Tuesday isn’t a usual protest day for the Rapids Response group, however; local protest organizer Kris Dauenhauer said they were out there because it was the first anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration.

“I think they feel like we have to note that it has not been a good year for our country, financially, emotionally, it’s just been a terrible year,” says Kris Dauenhauer, organizer of the Rapids Response group.

“Instead of being the world’s protector, he [President Trump] is making us into the world’s enemy.”

Dauenhauer expressed concern over recent comments made by President Trump.

“I don’t want to go to war with anyone. I think there’s been a lot of war rhetoric from our president about taking Greenland by force and these are our allies,” said Dauenhauer. “This is NATO that we’re going up against and I find that very disturbing.”

Jack Faville held a sign reading “Unmask ICE”.

“We don’t necessarily have to abolish ICE, but they need to follow the law and not act with impunity like they are in Minneapolis right now,” says Faville.

This after reports coming out of Minneapolis point out violent arrest tactics by ICE agents.

Dauenhauer was among those at the protest saying laws should be followed, by citizens, immigrants who have committed the civil offense of entering the country illegally, and by law enforcement including ICE.

“ I am not against keeping our borders safe, and I’m not against taking criminal immigrants out, but so many of the people that are being arrested or stopped and detained are people who have not committed any crimes,” explains Dauenhauer. “Some of them are US citizens, and I don’t think that they’re [ICE] going about it the right way.”

People protest on the corner of East Riverview Expressway and Lincoln Street every Friday and Saturday, however; they’ve cancelled protests this week due to the dangerously cold temperatures in the forecast.