‘We do not consent!’ Demonstrators protest US Sen. Dan Sullivan ahead of legislative speech
Published 1:30 am Friday, February 20, 2026
Dozens of demonstrators rallied at the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday ahead of Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan’s annual address to the legislature, criticizing the senator for supporting the Trump administration over Alaskans and Alaskan values.
“We do not consent!” The crowd cheered together, waving signs with messages like “Unmask ICE,” referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and “I do not consent to the SAVE Act or any voter suppression.”
Erin Jackson-Hill, an organizer and executive director of Stand Up Alaska, a nonprofit social justice organization, addressed the crowd, and said the protest was a declaration of solidarity and accountability.
“We do not consent to the devastating cuts to our federal government. We do not consent to the unregulated pillaging of our land. We do not consent to hungry children, tax cuts for billionaires or the occupation of American cities by our own government,” she said.
Demonstrators condemned the actions of ICE and the surge in American cities like Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed two protesters.
Jackson-Hill criticized Sullivan as complicit in the Trump administration’s erosion of constitutional rights and norms, demonization of dissent and attacks on the press, which she called a “slide into authoritarianism.”
“Where has Senator Sullivan been? Has he served as a meaningful check on the abuse of power?” she asked. “No!” the crowd shouted back.
“Has he passionately defended the democratic institutions that are the bedrock of our republic? No! Or has he offered quiet compliance and party line votes, hoping no one will notice?”
Paul DeSloover, a military veteran, called on Sullivan to honor his oath as a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. “We have to remember and not forget and demand that he no longer be a coward, but do the right thing for America,” he said.
“I’m up here, not for myself, because I will probably be dead before the ruins of what they are constructing happens,” he said. “But for the next generation and the generation after that.”
Demonstrators moved inside the Capitol and lined the hallway displaying signs for the senator as he walked into the House chambers. Some yelled out “shame!” and “town hall!” — a demand for the senator to host public town halls with Alaskans, which his detractors say he has neglected to do.
In his annual address, Sullivan praised the Trump administration and the “Big Beautiful Bill” which the administration has rebranded the “Working Families Tax Cuts Act,” and denounced Democrats.
When asked about the protests, Sullivan maintained that he hosts many public events where Alaskans can engage and said it’s within people’s First Amendment rights to protest.
“I’ve been probably doing more town halls than anybody,” he said. “In terms of engagement all people can come ask questions…. I think that kind of engagement is important.”
This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.
Corinne Smith started reporting in Alaska in 2020, serving as a radio reporter for several local stations across the state including in Petersburg, Haines, Homer and Dillingham. She spent two summers covering the Bristol Bay fishing season. Originally from Oakland, California, she got her start as a reporter, then morning show producer, at KPFA Radio in Berkeley. She completed a master’s degree focused on investigative journalism in 2024 at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles. She is thrilled to be back in Alaska and based in Juneau, covering education and social and criminal justice.
