The “Hands Off!” protests took place all across the nation.
SAN ANTONIO — Several hundred people gathered at San Antonio’s Main Plaza to stand against President Donald Trump’s policies, as part of similar protests unfolding across the country Saturday.
A “Hands Off!” protest took place in downtown San Antonio, in an effort to oppose the actions by the Trump administration—particularly those involving Elon Musk. Participants held signs reading “Stop F-Elon Insurrection Act,” “Arrest the Felon” and “Hands off my social security.”
Dozens of Social Security Administration offices are slated to close this year as a result of actions taken by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as part of the Trump administration’s unprecedented effort to shrink the size of government.
DOGE’s days, however, appear to be numbered. Musk recently suggested that he will be done with his work in the near future and Trump told reporters this week that “at some point, he’s going to be going back” to running his companies.
PHOTOS: San Antonians protest Trump administration’s policies
According to Indivisible, a grassroots organization aimed at “rebuilding democracy,” the protestors are rallying against efforts of government downsizing. That includes the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle federal agencies like the Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs.
Across the nation, the “Hands Off!” protests, organized by Indivisible and other supporting groups, took place at state capitals, federal buildings and congressional offices.
Indivisible members claim Trump’s policies are “detrimental to public services and democratic institutions.” A flagship march was also scheduled to take place on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
“We want everybody to stand up and do something, not just sit there and be angry at home,” said one woman attending the San Antonio march. “We need to get up and do something, fight for our country, fight for our democracy.”
The San Antonio protest largely unfolded blocks away from Final Four festivities, but far enough away not to interrupt those scheduled events. It briefly marched near the River Walk where a morning pep rally was underway.
“We’re here to speak up and speak out. We can’t stay quiet anymore,” said Gina Sandoval, who was wearing a “Bans off our bodies” hat at the protest. “(Trump’s) dismantling everything. He’s destroying everything.”