Jason Coulombe
Charleston community members participated in the nationwide protest Hands Off! at the edge of Morton Park along Lincoln Avenue on Saturday. Hands Off! is a movement centered around protesting President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk's actions in the federal government.
The edge of Morton Park, which faces Lincoln Avenue in Charleston, was lined with protestors as part of the Hands Off! campaign on Saturday.
The protest had around 140 people present for the hour-long demonstration. It was marked by rain showers and temperatures in the mid 40s.
“I’m thrilled that so many people came out today on a cold rainy day,” protester Gaye Harrison said. “It gives us all courage; it’s contagious.”
Hands Off! was a nationwide mobilization centered around country-wide protesting of President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk’s actions in the federal government.
Protesters held signs with the “Hands Off!” slogan followed by various programs and entities that have been targeted by the current presidential administration.
Signs also expressed anti-Trump sentiment, with some reading “President Trump is killing America!” and a sign parodying a lost child milk carton reading “Missing: constitutional checks and balances” in reference to concerns of the Trump administration’s attempts to do actions that typically require congressional approval.
“They attempt to gain control and power,” said protester Dave Fopay. “I think it’s an extreme threat to the future of our country.”
Trump has signed 111 executives actions since being appointed, which is almost half of the number signed in his first term.
This has raised concerns among protesters regarding the current administration’s actions.
“I’m concerned that we have such a muzzle velocity, rapid-fire things happening that we can’t even understand what’s going on,” Harrison said.
The Trump administration has had numerous lawsuits filed against it about the many actions and executive orders done with some judges declaring some of the actions as illegal.
“I’m unhappy with a lot of the illegal things that are being done and in the way the government is being dismantled,” protester Marty Gabriel said. “It seems to me instead of with a scalpel, which people could understand, taking a sledgehammer to things, breaking things you don’t know what you’re breaking seems idiotic to me.”
The Trump administration’s support of cuts to education and its desire to dismantle the federal Department of Education was also a concern for protesters.
“I’m most afraid of the cuts to education and the effects of DEI, because diversity and inclusion are the backbone of what I believe is American democracy,” protester Richard Hultz said.
Several organizers of pro-Palestinian protests have faced arrests under the new administration, prompting even more worries among protesters.
“I think it’s the most serious threat to the democracy we have that they’re arresting college students for ‘Free Palestine’ protests,” protester Silver Damsen said. “Because of the arrest of international students, faculty risk losing their jobs if they support their students. This is an issue we have to keep talking about.”
In addition to these arrests, there have been undocumented immigrants who have been deported without due process, all of which are entitled to in the United States under the 14th amendment.
“To take away people’s due process and to violate the laws over and over again, to show blatant disregard for the law, is something that really bothers me,” Gabriel said.
Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmcoulombe@eiu.edu.