Protesters dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale" stand in front of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln on Sept. 12, 2025. A panel of lawmakers had convened to question Nebraska partnering with federal officials to convert a McCook prison into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
Draped in flowing red robes, they've loomed near some of the most powerful Nebraskans over the past year, slowly striding by their offices and into political events. They've overlooked the governor's State of the State speech through the glass doors of the legislative chamber. They've raised alarm over the rise of authoritarianism and warned that Nebraska is helping President Donald Trump undermine democracy.
Handmaids of Nebraska members stand in the Rotunda as Gov. Jim Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, walk by after the governor's State of the State address on Jan. 15 at the Capitol. Pillen would later refer to them with a slur and say they and other liberal critics have "lost their brains."
The Handmaids of Nebraska demonstrate at the Nebraska State Capitol on Nov. 8, 2025. They held signs highlighting characteristics of fascism and carried them throughout the building.
Protesters dressed as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale" stand in front of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln on Sept. 12, 2025. A panel of lawmakers had convened to question Nebraska partnering with federal officials to convert a McCook prison into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
Handmaids of Nebraska members stand in the Rotunda as Gov. Jim Pillen and his wife, Suzanne, walk by after the governor's State of the State address on Jan. 15 at the Capitol. Pillen would later refer to them with a slur and say they and other liberal critics have "lost their brains."
The Handmaids of Nebraska demonstrate at the Nebraska State Capitol on Nov. 8, 2025. They held signs highlighting characteristics of fascism and carried them throughout the building.
