Action 79 - April 5 HANDS OFF!
Background: Anne Applebaum, award winning historian, journalist, author and international expert on authoritarianism (1) recently spoke at the Digital Democracy forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Maine, Alaska and Colorado. During the Q&A session, she was asked about the value of protests. She said they are definitely useful: just make sure they are sustainable, have a clear message, and are patriotic and nonviolent. Use the language of our Constitution in developing the message, hold local politicians to account for the degree to which they are upholding our civic values. Make sure that the politicians know who is being hurt by bad policies, and how they are being hurt. In Maine, statewide protests are building. We alerted you to February 17 (Action 35) in Augusta, and March 1 (Action 53) in Ellsworth.
On April 5, there is another major protest being planned for Augusta and other locations in Maine. It is called “Hands OFF”, and it has a website (2). At this moment, there are 717 events planned nationally, including the following in Maine: Bangor, Augusta, Skowhegan, Cherryfield, Farmington, Auburn, Portland, Paris, Wells, Kittery. The list is sure to grow. Bucksport has regular demonstrations each week at the bridge, as does Ellsworth and Blue Hill.
The organizers say: “This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way. ...They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich. ... If we don’t fight now, there won’t be anything left to save. This is not just corruption. This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover. This is the moment when we say NO. No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive. HANDS OFF Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, our jobs, our wallets, our bodies, fair elections, personal data, public lands, veteran services, cancer research, NATO, consumer protections, clean air, clean energy, schools, libraries, free speech, LGBTQ rights, immigrants, courts, more”.
Action: Make your signs and attend one of the rallies. The website (2) has details about times and locations. We will try to issue an update around April 2. Arrange a carpool – more fun that way! Regarding signs: Anne Applebaum also suggested using American flag images and quotes from the Constitution. After all, that’s what protects all of us, “if you can keep it” (3).
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Applebaum
(2) https://handsoff2025.com/?SQF_SOURCE=centerforcommonground&source=email-handsoffemail1&link_id=1&can_id=c9f47cb3eadec3a14d9f4d41436b670b&email_referrer=email_2671591___subject_3176496&email_subject=hands-off-unite-against-trumps-power-grab-on-april-5&
