Nationwide “Hands Off” protests come to Dayton area

A little rain — more than a little, actually — created a small sea of brightly colored umbrellas on downtown Dayton’s Courthouse Square Saturday afternoon, as a crowd of more than 100 there joined thousands nationwide in protesting the policies of President Donald Trump.

Under the banner and theme of “hands off,” protestors gathered in cities and towns to demonstrate against what they contend have been harmful government policies.

The protest was about “democracy,” said one Dayton protestor, who identified herself only as Mary, declining to give a surname. “They’re taking away all of our rights. And we would to say hands off of our working rights and our union rights.”

“It’s inhumane to deport people without due process,” said another who identified himself as “Blaze Dog” Cooper, a retired teacher from Northeast Ohio now living in downtown Dayton. “They cut federal, national programs without due process.”

“Everybody should be out here, if you ask me,” he added. “It’s cold, it’s wet. You’re going to get less people. But this is what it is. It’s people voicing their displeasure.”

Shortly before the rally’s official start at 5 p.m., some 40 people gathered on the Square just off Main Street. Fifteen minutes later, their ranks had swelled to easily a hundred, with more trickling in until about 5:30.

Drivers on Main regularly honked vehicle horns, and protestors took that as support, cheering in response.

A Facebook page following the day’s events in Ohio claimed some 15,500 people were participating in 57 rallies by about noon Saturday.

Rallies were scheduled for Middletown, Springfield, Xenia, Troy, Oxford and elsewhere.

Credit: Bryant Billing

“Show me what democracy looks like,” one rally-goer yelled at a protest outside Springfield City Hall on High Street at about noon.

“This is what democracy looks like,” participants responded.

The same call-and-response was shouted five hours later in Dayton, along with “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go,” and variations thereof.

In all, more than 1,200 “hands off” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups nationwide Saturday, the Associated Press reported. The New York Times said organizers pointed to 600,000 people signing up to participate.

The protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitals and other sites in all 50 states, national reports said.

Protestors were tapping into what they argue has been growing discontent with Trump policies, taking aim at an Elon Musk-led effort to make the federal government smaller.

While opponents see the work of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency as random and cruel, proponents say the work is an unprecedented push to at last make the federal government more efficient.

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement reported by the AP that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”