'Hands Off' Protestors Hit Streets In Hudson County

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Hundreds of protestors showed up at two locations in Hudson County to oppose actions taken by the current presidential administration, including mass firings of Veterans Affairs workers and the president's tariffs on Canada and other countries.

The protests in Hudson County took place in the Newport section of Jersey City and on the Weehawken waterfront.

Among the protest signs pictured above and what they referred to:

"Stop Snatching Students" — Immigration officials recently have stepped up deportations, including what officials in the Trump administration said was the "accidental deportation" of a Maryland father. Immigration agents also arrested Tufts Ph.D. student Rumesya Ozturk, who had a valid visa, in front of her off-campus home on March 25. Sources believe she was detained because she signed an op-ed in the student paper regarding the war in Gaza. The government recently revoked her visa, reports say. She is being held out of state. It was reported Tuesday that hundreds of other student visas also have been canceled; this past weekend, Rutgers officials said a dozen students just had their visas revoked without explanation.

"Hands Off Social Security" — Retirees say Social Security, a system they paid into for decades, will work more slowly and become more difficult to access if the federal government makes good on plans to fire 7,000 agency workers, close offices, and change regulations. Find out more about the changes and their impact here.

"No Kings" — President Trump has said he's thought about ways to serve a third term, but this would require changing the Constitution.

"Are We Taxing Penguins Now?" — The Trump administration has imposed new tariffs on goods imported from countries including Canada and China, but some were apparently imposed on uninhabited islands. The BBC puts it this way: "The US Commerce Secretary has defended the country's decision to impose tariffs on a group of uninhabited islands, which are populated only by penguins and seals." Federal officials argued that countries might ship goods through those countries to avoid being taxed.

"P.S. Good Job Cory!" — Refers to U.S. Sen. Cory Booker who spoke for a record 25 hours on the Senate floor from March 31 to April 1, giving specific examples of how the Trump administrations firings and executive orders have affected his constituents.

The protests across the country were organized by various groups including, locally, "Weehawken Fights Back."

Read About The "Hands Off" Protests In Nearby Essex County Here.