Story & Photos
By Michael Kinney
OKLAHOMA CITY– In the last three presidential elections, one state went entirely red. All 77 counties in Oklahoma voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
Regardless of what Trump has done or been accused of, the Sooner state has solidly back him under all circumstances.
Yet, that didn’t keep citizens from coming out on a dreary and cold Saturday in dreary to attend the “Hands Off National Day of Action” protests. Held at the City Hall in downtown Oklahoma City, hundreds filled the eastside courtyard to show and voice their displeasure with the direction that Trump and his administration have taken on their mission to eliminate diversity equity and inclusion, revoke protection for immigrants, dismantle federal agencies and suppression of freedoms and a poor economy, to name just a few.
“Hands off our government. Hands off our health care. Hands off our rights,” said one speaker to the energized crowd. “We’re here in defiance of the Trump (Elon) Musk billionaire take over and the assaults on our freedoms and our communities.”
Oklahoma City was just one of more than 1,300 rallies across all 50 states that had been planned by 150 different groups. From the national mall in Washington D.C. to Anchorage, Alaska, organizers said tens of thousands came out in attendance.
Even Europe got into the action as Germany, England, Portugal and France all held their own marches and rallies.
Photo Credit: Michael Kinney
“This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way,” Stated Hands Off organizers. “They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we don’t fight now, there won’t be anything left to save.”
The protests came just two days after Trump announced a new round of tariffs that sent the stick market into a dive. Every day people complained of watching their 401(k) lose value while still fearing that programs such as social security and Medicaid/Medicare will be cut.
Several of the demonstrators in Oklahoma City spoke of these fears while others let their creative signs speak for them.
“We are telling those in power that we will not stand quietly by while the system of checks and balances crumble,” said another speaker. “We are telling Maga we will not be erased.”
Despite having traveled to Florida to compete in the Senior Club Championship, Trump seemingly took notice of the protests. The White House’s annual spring garden tour was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday because of the protests in D.C.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sent out a press release condemning the protests.
“Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years,” stated Leavitt. “President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers across the country who overwhelmingly re-elected him.”
Despite the response from the White House, Hands Off organizers appear to be satisfied with what they saw taking place across the country and have plans to host more events in the future.
“What we witnessed today was nothing short of extraordinary. Across the country and around the world, people came together to say: we will not be silent while our rights, our futures, and our democracy are under attack,” statedRahna Epting, Executive Director, MoveOn.Org. “This peaceful movement is powered by everyday people—nurses, teachers, students, parents—who are rising up to protect what matters most. We are united, we are relentless, and we are just getting started.”
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