SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Saturday, a peaceful protest called “Rise Together” brought hundreds of residents and visitors to show their support for social causes: equity for Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), queer and transgender rights, disability and access, immigration and refugee rights, women’s reproductive health, environmental protection, and more.

The protest was organized by Access Tahoe/Peace Love Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Pride, Zensational Yoga Therapy, and South Lake Tahoe Solidarity Network and began at Lakeview Commons, with a table offering resources for immigrants and refugees. Several speakers addressed the challenges they faced because of the current administration’s goals to cut down on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, orders to deport immigrants and refugees and challenges to birthright citizenship, and proposed cuts to healthcare, especially for reproductive rights and transgender people.

Head protest marshal and organizer Zephyr Kao said, “The Rise Together protest came from a shared experience of anger, fear, and grief in response to the appalling and expedient policies coming from our federal government… at the protest, it was important that we brought forth a diversity of voices to show South Lake Tahoe that our existence and humanity make up the fabric of this community.”

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“I don’t know about y’all, but I needed this,” said Sarah Coffman of Zensational Yoga Therapy, who went on to speak about how important it was for her to stand for reproductive rights as well as transgender and BIPOC rights, as her partner is part of those communities.

Laura Salinas presented in both English and Spanish on the richness of the immigrant community in both America and in Tahoe. She told the crowd, “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams… I would not be here without them.”

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Michael Hobbs, one of the organizers of Lake Tahoe Pride, said, “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are human priorities in action… they afford us all opportunities to learn more, to do better.” He addressed several groups including immigrants, trans people, BIPOC, disabled, and unhoused people, repeating. “They deserve to feel safe, valued, and loved. They are loved. We here love them.”

Among the famous activists quoted by speakers were Martin Luther King Jr. and his contemporary Bayard Rustin, a Black gay activist who helped teach MLK Jr. about nonviolent strategies for protest.

Attendees ranged from those in strollers to seniors in the community, with strong support from the Ally Club of South Tahoe High School. Protestors marched from Lakeview Commons to Ski Run Plaza and back, with some protestors joining along the way. Cars and trucks honked their support for the march along the way.

Several attendees told the Tribune that they had heard about the march through social media posts, while others said they decided to attend after they read media coverage of Tahoe Heartbeat CEO’s online comments.

Freelance photojournalist Katy Jo Caringer emailed the Tribune with her reflection, saying, “This march was more than just a demonstration—it was an act of visibility, a declaration of our shared values, and a reminder that our voices matter. People of all backgrounds stood together, chanting for justice, holding signs of hope, and rejecting the dangerous policies of Trump’s Project 2025 agenda. …We proved that love and solidarity will always rise above hate.”

Kao said, “It was uplifting to see the diversity of protestors and the way we organically came together. I’ve never felt so connected to my community. My hope is that every person who has felt helpless during this time knows that they are not alone, and that hundreds of their neighbors, as we saw at the protest, are standing up to hatred.”

Many of the organizers plan to continue the momentum from this protest, hoping to unite the community in solidarity for their movements, with meetings scheduled into the rest of February.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.