‘Hands Off!’ marchers flood downtown San Diego: Have ‘had enough’ with Trump ...Middle East

Thousands took to the streets of downtown San Diego on Saturday as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” movement to protest actions by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Marchers gathered at the San Diego Civic Center and moved west on Broadway, holding signs calling out Trump policies, including cuts to the federal workforce, the tariffs he announced on Thursday and revoking student visas for those who have protested government action, amid an array of other issues.

“This is my eighth protest of the year, and I haven’t seen as many people as I do today. I just feel like people have had enough,” said Anneliese O’Bannon-Robles, a San Diego native.

Across the country, in all 50 states, more than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. Protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and state capitols.

According to San Diego police, around 12,000 individuals participated in the downtown San Diego event. More gathered in other parts of the county, including Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo, Oceanside and Encinitas.

But based on an average of 200 marchers passing a set point every minute, and the march lasting almost 80 minutes, Times of San Diego estimates as many as 16,000* took part.

While the downtown march was largely peaceful, a vehicle stopped at Pacific Coast Highway and West Grape Street at one point lurched toward protesters crossing the intersection.

It stopped short of hitting them, but the driver got out of the car, and after a few words were exchanged with a protester he had nearly missed, he pulled a knife. However, he backed down quickly and sped off.

Other than the confrontation — witnessed by Times of San Diego — two medical emergencies were related to the march, police said. One was a case of heat exhaustion.

With few problems due to the march, those who gathered could focus on the politics. All ages joined — from babies pushed in strollers to elders with walkers and electric wheelchairs.

In interviews, many marchers cited “everything” when asked for their main concern with the administration. The wide reach of Trump’s recent actions had caused many to start taking issues personally.

La Jolla’s Fran Shimp — a retired writer with TV series credits — held a sign that said: “Your DOGE ate my Constitution.”

She said her issues covered the gamut.

“I have four children, all of whom have their own special needs and issues,” she said. “And I believe this administration does not look to the future for our children at all.”

The stability of Social Security and Medicare stood out for another woman.

“I had two kids, and when my husband died, I didn’t ask for any help. Now they want to take away my money, my Social Security,” said the 87-year-old marcher, who goes by the name Grandma Essie. Though bent over her walker, she kept up with the crowd while wearing a wide-brim straw hat emblazoned a pink button that said “Women for Peace.”

Young people, though, expressed concerns about how Trump’s policies might impact their future.

“I don’t know a single young person that can even think about buying a house,” said Malachi Bielecki, San Diego Young Democrats’ director of community service.

“And just the input costs are going to go up, whether it’s labor, with the immigration actions, or steel and aluminum tariffs. That’s something we’re really concerned about, and a big issue here in San Diego that we have.”

Richard Cannon of Indivisible North County told City News Service that Saturday’s march announces that “people are paying attention, people are motivated and they’re not going to wait around for their elected officials to save them.”

Two U.S. House representatives from San Diego — Democrats Sara Jacobs and Scott Peters —attended, Cannon said, adding that the march also included state Assemblyman Chris Ward, local organized labor officials Brigette Browning and Crystal Irving, and noted local community activists.

Kenzie Villalobos brought her sons to “demonstrate resistance” for them. Throughout the walk, she switched back and forth with her partner, pushing the 15-month-old in a stroller and taking her 3-year-old boy’s hand.

“They’re coming for women,” Villalobos said. “And I have little boys that need to know that they can’t control women, that our bodies are not theirs.”

The Rev. Madison Shockley, pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, said he was at the rally on behalf of those he thinks will suffer from the administration’s actions, but primarily because of his faith.

“They are murdering people, from the cuts to USAID, from Sudan to South Africa, and by the cuts to health and human services, just think about that,” Shockley said. “More people are going to get sick. More people are going to die in our own country.”

One 80-year-old Escondido man who declined to give his name said: “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Born “when FDR was the president, so I’ve been around,” he wore a service cap and said he had been an Army Special Forces member during Vietnam — in 1968-69.

He and his wife and daughter, born at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, joined him as they assembled at the Civic Center starting point.

An Escondido neighbor of his was asked her major issue.

“The mango Mussolini and his sidekick, the Muskrat,” said the woman, a former news reporter in Salem, Oregon.

“I am retired, and Social Security is 50% of my monthly income and I’m just a little PO’d about what the heck they’re doing — and they don’t know what they’re doing,” she said.

“And also the national parks, FAA, the air traffic controller situation, all the federal employees that have just been chainsawed. They don’t know what they’re doing and I want to save democracy.”

A retired scientist who was on the USC Medical School faculty for years (and graduated from UCLA Medical School) said of Trump: “He’s crazy to shut down the NIH — one of the biggest assets we have. Most of my funding throughout my career was from the NIH.”

She said she served on the Board of Scientific Counselors to the National Eye Institute.

“So this is crazy — to stop what we’re doing at the NIH,” she said. “We have one of the best health research systems in the world.”

Rick Baca, 62, of Hillcrest, holding a sign supporting trans rights, said he marched because he disliked Trump tremendously.

“He’s a liar and a crook, and I think he’s taking this country to ruin and he’s done so many horrible things,” Baca said.

“I am not trans, but I’m reminded of World War II and the priest [who] said that he was taken away and he didn’t say anything. When the Jews were taken, then the Gypsies, and when people came for him, it was too late.”

He said he’d like to see Trump impeached for “being a traitor to the United States.”

As the 98-minute march continued, a woman pointed out the old marquee sign at the historic Spreckels Theatre.

She took it metaphorically, saying: “See the message? That’s the message!”

The marquee said: “Our curtain will rise again soon.”

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

*An earlier version of this report estimated turnout at as much as 20,000 based on a 98-minute march. The march lasted nearly 80 minutes.

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