Dozens gather in Pocatello park to oppose President Trump’s actions in Venezuela
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POCATELLO – A crowd of roughly 150 people gathered Saturday at Caldwell Park in Pocatello for a protest criticizing the Trump administration’s recent actions in Venezuela.
The event, organized by local veteran Joseph Funk and co-sponsored by About Face: Veterans Against the War, and the Southeast Idaho Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, began at the park pavilion.
After listening to speakers, the protestors marched a block south and lined the street in front of U.S. Senator Jim Risch’s office to urge him to support legislation aimed at limiting military action without Congressional approval.
Funk led the program alongside speakers representing a cross-section of political groups and perspectives.
During his remarks, Funk called for broader coalition-building in the community. He briefly announced the formation of a new organization, Veterans Against Fascism, which he described as a sister organization connected to About Face.
“This issue is not liberal versus conservative,” Funk said about Veterans Against Facism. “This involves us all. The last thing that I want to happen is for the next generations of military to be thrown into a meat grinder like I was. The war doesn’t stay overseas. It comes home.”
Tommy Dungan, a local DSA committee member and recently elected co-chair of the organization’s regional chapter, said the protest was organized quickly after a discussion among activists who felt the situation demanded a public response.
He described the group’s primary purpose as pressuring Risch to back the War Powers resolution moving through Congress.
“(Senator Risch) needs to know we don’t want anymore young men dying in these foreign wars,” Dungan said.
David Roth, a current Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2026 who serves as Idaho’s national committeeman on the Democratic National Committee, says Saturday’s protest is about American ideals and transcends party lines.
He argued that seizing a foreign leader without congressional involvement is difficult to interpret as anything other than a direct step toward war. The founding fathers, he says, designed a system to prevent one person from dragging the country into a major conflict.
“When we seize a foreign leader, I don’t know how you would view that as anything other than an act of war. All of a sudden, Venezuela sounds a lot less like a threat to the American people and has now become a way that we’re going to increase power and influence,” Roth said. “We need to stay involved, we need to stay vigilant, and we need to remember how we feel now when November comes around at the ballot box.”
Several participants said they attended the protest because they wanted to make their voices heard at a critical moment.
One attendee, Vermon Esplin, a 65-year-old veteran, said he grew up Republican and voted for Trump twice. For him, the attack on the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was a breaking point that pushed him out of party politics.
“I can’t support Trump anymore. I am not a Republican now,” Esplin said.
He said he feels politically homeless and believes partisan leaders in general are not focused on everyday people.
“There’s really nobody in the government that represents my view of the people being first,” said Esplin.
Elena Moses, a student at Idaho State University majoring in music education, said she learned about the protest from a poster at the local library and wanted to attend.
“I love this country, and I want to do everything in my power to defend freedom and make my voice heard,” she said. “And it’s always good to know that there are like-minded people.”
Ian Troesoyer said he attended, in part, to collect signatures for a ballot initiative related to abortion policy, but added that he also opposed wars that he believes destabilize the world and endanger working-class people.
“I think wars to steal other countries’ natural resources are ridiculous and harmful to America and the world,” Troesoyer said.
He added that community events, like protests, can help people find allies.
“This is a great place to find community and to share your ideas with like-minded people.”
