Vivian Dueker
Thousands of San Diegans gathered at Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Diego at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, to join the nationwide “Hands Off!” protests against the Trump administration.
This action was one of over 1,400 protests that took place across the nation on Saturday expressing disapproval of recent Trump policies related to immigration, healthcare, education, diversity, equity, and inclusion, foreign relations, and more, as well as Elon Musk’s powerful role in his administration. An estimated 12,000 protestors were in attendance in San Diego.
Several UC San Diego-affiliated organizations promoted participation in the rally. The protest was mostly attended by seniors, young children, and families.
The crowd filled Civic Center Plaza and spilled onto Second Avenue before beginning its march down the streets of San Diego.
The protestors chanted phrases like “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” “This is what democracy looks like,” and “The people united will never be defeated.”
They held signs criticizing specific Trump policies and the administration’s infringements on human rights. Messages on signs included: “Dump Trump,” “Hands off my medicare,” “Deport Elon,” and “Democracy not autocracy.”
One anonymous protestor from Indivisible, a grassroots activist group that helped organize the nationwide protests, spoke to The UCSD Guardian about why she participated.
“I don’t want to live in fear,” she said. “This isn’t the America I grew up in or the one I want to live in.”
She held a sign that read, “Hands off the Constitution! No third term.”
Protestors ended their march outside the Hall of Justice on West Broadway, where organizers led a few final chants and calls to action. The protest dispersed at around 2:30 p.m.