“Hands off” demonstrations broke out against Trump and Musk: NPR

The demonstrators gathered across the country on Saturday, many led by different problems, but united in opposition to the Trump administration with the single message: “Hands-Off”.

The organizers said that more than 1,300 “hands” rallies of variable sizes had taken place on Saturday.

Since President Trump took office in January, various demonstrations took place against the plans and policies of his administration – from the mass dismissal of federal workers to immigration raids to the involvement of billionaire Elon Musk in the federal government.

Saturday’s protests seemed to be the most widespread to date from Trump’s second term.

“There are so many problems,” Kelley Laird of Rockville said on Saturday in Maryland, who attended a rally in Washington, DC. “They come after education, coming after health care, coming after the arts, coming after the press.”

In Boston, demonstrators gathered to repel the federal reductions in research and against the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student from Toft University who was arrested by federal agents in simple clothes, as Wbur reported.

In Sylva, North Carolina, more than 300 people gathered to oppose the discounts of national parks, education and veterans services, according to BPR News. And in Portland, Oregon, several thousand people gathered against what they describe as an “illegal and billionaire power” by Trump and Musk, reported OPB.

In DC, thousands of people filled the grass near the Washington monument, brandishing panels supporting reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, social security, benefits and opposite prices.

Laird and his neighbors said they had trained a group cat after Trump took office this year. They use the group chat, named “Sisters of the Resistance”, to coordinate participation in protests together and offer support.

“We have to form a community to strengthen ourselves because we have to be there in the long term,” said Emily Peck, who started group cat.

Many participants who spoke at NPR said they felt forced to present themselves, because new concerns remain in emergence.

“This is the first time that I try to participate regularly,” said Patty Kim, a retired federal worker, who attended the DC rally with her husband. “I felt so frustrated and paralyzed by the group of things that take place that undermine human rights and humanity in this country that I like, that I had to do something.”

The veterans Colleen Boland and Sonia Lundy, who actively participated in the demonstrations, said that they considered this as a continuation of the military oath they took years ago to protect the Americans.

“We took an oath for a long time ago to protect against all foreign and domestic enemies, and I do not think that Sonya or that I could have imagined that we had to launch the domestic piece of our oath, but we have it, we are, and we will,” said Boland, who said that she served in the army and the air forces.

They are particularly concerned about the future of social security and the advantages of veterans. Although the White House has insisted that the Trump administration would not reduce social security services, there are major changes of changes, including the closure of dozens of social security offices; the elimination of thousands of jobs; And a new policy that will require stricter identity checks.

“I was going to count on this money. Is it going to be there?” said Lundy, who said she served in the army.

Al and Bev Mirmelstein were among the passengers of a caravan of three buses which went to the DC Rally of Charlottesville, in Virginia, organized by the indivisible group Charlottesville. During the demonstration, the mirmelsteins held signs that read: “maintains our constitution, our law, social security, freedom of expression, health care” and “save our democracy”.

The couple said they also joined several protests at home, including one against the opening of a Tesla exhibition hall. The 77 years now, they said they were too young to join demonstrations during the Vietnam War, but now they are engaged in their activism.

“I didn’t participate in this, and I feel like I am catching up now,” said AL.