​Thousands Participate In 'Hands Off' Protest In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Thousands of people rallied in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza on Saturday to condemn President Donald Trump and Elon Musk as part of nationwide Hands Off! protests.

Demonstrators held up signs and chanted together in opposition to Trump and Musk's newly created Department of Government Efficiency firings of federal workers, cuts to federal programs, and DOGE gaining access to private data of Americans.

"Trump must go! Trump must go!" protesters yelled.

They also denounced Trump's executive orders targeting immigration, gender identity, climate change, the economy and international trade relations.

"I am proud to be here and unfortunately that we need to be here," said Beatrice Krivetsky, who was sitting in a wheelchair while she held a sign reading "Oppose the Immigration Crackdown."

"I am proud to demonstrate and say out loud that we need the America we're familiar with," Krivetsky said. "I'm fighting for all the immigrants who have come here expecting a great a country."

Some protesters and speakers held up signs and chanted slogans that called out what they perceive as a rise of fascism under the Trump administration.

"We either hang together or we hang separately," said state Assemblymember Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, in a speech at the rally. "We have to stay strong and not let these authoritarians get their way."

Alex U. Inn, a local drag king and LGBTQ+ rights activist, gave a speech that energized the massive crowd and emphasized the power of protest.

"We know the power of local action," he said. "We know that change starts in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our hearts. We know we can hold our elected officials accountable."
"This is not an administration," Inn said. "This is a freaking regime."

Other speakers condemned Trump's spending cuts to federal programs like Medicaid, Social Security, scientific research and public education.

"These programs are not luxuries, they're lifelines," said Ciara Lovelace, a disabled woman who said she depends on federal programs like Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid.

"Medi-Cal covers my wheelchair, walker and crutches. Without them I literally could not leave my house," she said.

The demonstration also drew some counter-protesters, who were drowned out by the deafening chants of the thousands rallying against Trump and Musk.
"This is what democracy looks like!" protesters yelled. "We fight back!"

By Alise Maripuu / Bay City News

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