North Texans joined others across the country on Saturday for a nationwide day of protest against the policies of President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk.
Hundreds of people lined the streets in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, chanting at passing cars and cheering for drivers who honked in support. This was one of more than 1,000 鈥淗ands Off!鈥� protests planned across the country,
Robert Bing, 70, of Arlington said the protest shows a lot of people are scared about the country鈥檚 future.
"I'm worried that we are going to lose our democracy 鈥� that it's not just a notion, it's not hyperbole,鈥� Bing said. 鈥淭hat it is a real possibility if we don't stand up and protest."
Bing said he鈥檚 concerned about Trump鈥檚 executive orders and Congress refusing to fight back.
The Dallas event was organized by protest groups and , . Nationwide, people showed up to oppose Trump and his adviser Elon Musk鈥檚 actions during Trump鈥檚 first months back in office 鈥� particularly the the and the .
Trump says there are , and he has alleged that some of the workers he鈥檚 let go . He has characterized unlawful immigration as promising to expel people who are in the U.S. without proper documentation as a national security measure. And his anti-trans measures are designed to protect women, .
Kate Franklin, 27, of Lewisville, took issue with Elon Musk 鈥� the richest man in the world 鈥� being so involved in the federal government. She held a sign that parodied , which showed a snake winding up someone鈥檚 leg, ready to strike 鈥� with the words 鈥淏illionaires tread on all of us.鈥�
鈥淲hatever demographic, whatever political party, we have to stand up to that sort of thing,鈥� Franklin said. 鈥淥ur country isn't for sale, our democracy isn't for sale, and we are all being tread on.鈥�
Logan Roy, 39, of East Dallas came to the protest in part because of the attacks on LGBTQ+ people, he said.
鈥淚t's scaring me, because there are people losing their rights, people who are more vulnerable than I am,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am a cis male. No one's really coming after me.鈥�
More Hands Off! protests were planned in Denton, Arlington, Granbury and other North Texas cities. Crowds in other major cities across the country numbered in the tens of thousands, .
Some who oppose Trump , who they say have not been doing enough to counter the president鈥檚 agenda.
"I think it shouldn't take the people getting this mad in the streets for the Democrats to do something,鈥� said Jennifer Zavala, 47, of Dallas. 鈥淵ou're our elected officials. Like, go out there and represent us. It's really simple, do your job."
Coming to the protest did give Zavala some hope, she said, in what she called 鈥渁 moral moment.鈥�
Rev. Kyle Powell is an organizer with 50501 in Fort Worth. To him, this is not a response to Democrats not doing enough, he said.
鈥淚 think it's a response to all of our politicians not listening to us on both sides of the aisle, which is why this was such a nonpartisan issue for us,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淭o quote Cory Booker, it's not a left or right issue, it鈥檚 a right and wrong issue."
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