Three months of mass deportations, tariffs fueling trade wars, and Elon Musk’s chainsaw approach to government reform will culminate in a nationwide protest on Saturday.
The mass mobilization dubbed Hands Off! features a march in Washington, D.C. and rallies at capitol buildings in all 50 states, with simultaneous demonstrations in towns and cities all over America.
“This is our democracy. If we don’t defend it, we lose it,” said Amy Higer, who is organizing a rally at the Maplewood train station in Essex County.
The Hands Off! website lists more than 20 rallies in New Jersey with most of the demonstrations scheduled in liberal bastions such as Princeton, Morristown and Montclair. But there are rallies scheduled for heavily Republican towns, such as Toms River and Sparta.
“This is really an inflection point for our country,” said Erica Malinowski, an organizer in Essex County. “We are in a rapid descent into authoritarianism. This is not who we are.”
The protest is sponsored by MoveOn, Public Citizen, Stand Up America and the Not Above the Law Coalition which the group says is a “power grab” by Trump that must be stopped.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them,” says a statement on the Hands Off! website. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, claiming anything standing in their way is illegal, and daring the American people to stop them.”
A recent protest at the Tesla dealership in Paramus became heated when MAGA demonstrators showed up. Concerned about potential for violence, HandsOff! held a training session online to teach de-escalation tactics and posted a note on its website reminding protesters to remain peaceful.
“A core principle behind Hands Off! is a commitment to nonviolent action,” the note says. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values, and to act lawfully at these events.”
“I think there will be more of us than there are of them,” said Sue Ryerson, a member of New Jersey Indivisible.
The rallies are expected to draw Democrats in the congressional delegation, plus the six candidates running for governor. As of Wednesday, the plans for most gubernatorial candidates were undecided.
Rep. Frank Pallone is scheduled to speak at the rally in Metuchen, which begins at 3 p.m.
No word yet from Sen. Cory Booker, who this week held the floor in the U.S. Capitol for more than 24 hours, in a record-setting rant against Trump.
One of the Teaneck rallies were being organized by former state senator Loretta Weinberg. Now 90, Weinberg is organizing a rally at her senior apartment building, Arbor Terrace.
“I’ve seen a lot in my years of political activism, but things have never been this unsettled,” she said. “What’s so frightening is this acquiescence to this chaotic attack on democracy. Get off your rear end, people!’
Elsewhere, traffic will likely be a mess on Bloomfield Avenue in Essex County between 12 and 2 p.m. Rallies are scheduled in Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and West Caldwell, all at spots on Bloomfield Avenue.
