Las Cruces takes part in national Handsoff! protest

The Las Cruces community gathered Saturday, April 5, at Albert Johnson Park to participate in a nationwide protest organized by local grassroots organizations against President Trump’s recent executive orders and policy changes implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency. 

The initial 520 protesters who signed up in the morning to attend the event drew a crowd of about 800 to 1000 Las ​​Crucians. Who lined the sidewalks up and down North Main Street and occupied Albert Johnson Park and the front of City Hall with signs, flags, noise makers and their dogs protesting against multiple controversial policy changes made by the Department of Government Efficiency or D.O.G.E. in what the Trump administration says is an effort to make government more efficient and save taxpayers money. 

People had various reasons to attend, from protesting plans to cut funding to Medicare and Medicaid, workforce cuts in social security, mass deportation efforts, DEI cutbacks, LGBTQ+ rights, increasing tariffs, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. 

“I am here because I am disgusted. My husband is a veteran and has stage four cancer. I am on social security. I am on Medicare. These policies affect my husband, me, and everyone,” said Las Cruces native Barbra, who did not share her last name with the Bulletin. 

The protest was part of a nationwide HandsOff! The Indivisible Las Cruces Branch spearheaded the 50.50.1 political movement against the Trump administration’s policies and actions.

“We’re stronger together, and I think the government is afraid of that. Some parts of the government need to be slimmed down, but you don’t do mass layoffs; that's inhumane. Government is not a business; it's a service, and this is the grassroots effort that will hopefully end the insanity at the federal level. For example the tariffs I guarantee these companies don’t move their business to the U.S.; there are 8 billion other people worldwide. We need them more than they need us. But that’s why I am here today, why everyone is out here today, to show that we will not give up our country that easily to Trump and his buddies. We will do this non-violently, we will do this through the courts and the ballot boxes.” Said Mary Brannon, a member of the steering committee with Indivisible. 

Hands Off! is a national protest effort by the nonprofit organization Indivisible. It is a progressive grassroots coalition of activists across the country that began in the wake of President Trump’s election in 2016.