New Orleans April 5 demo tells Trump: “Hands off the people!”

New Orleans, LA – On the afternoon of April 5, over 1000 New Orleanians gathered in Lafayette Square Park downtown. They were gathered as part of a national day of action to demand end the attacks on immigrants, on freedom of speech, students, union rights, LGBTQ folks and many other segments of the people.

“I feel like I have woken up in a time machine going backwards. What we’re fighting for is what my parents fought for; for control of our bodies. Living in a society where the president won’t follow the law means we have a lawless society. I’m out here for my grandkids!” said New Orleans resident Patricia Brown, when asked why she was there to protest.

By the time the rally began, demonstrators packed nearly every square foot of the park. People held up signs reading “We say no to deportations!” “Hands off Medicaid!” and “Defend DEI and diversity!” amongst others.

Nearly 30 speakers representing various organizations spoke to the crowd. The rally gathered a wide coalition, from local city council members to union leaders, artists, and community organizers representing the fight against repression and police crimes.

Early in the rally, speakers from the local immigrant rights organization Union Migrante spoke on the Trump administration’s escalation of violence and repression. “They want to isolate [immigrants] and individually kidnap them and take them from their families, even though they depend on them for their labor. That’s wrong! Immigrants make America great y’all!” said Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante.

“Immigrants have always been under attack here in Louisiana! Like when my friend’s Dad got deported over a thousand miles from his family because Jefferson Parish police collaborated with ICE,” said Felix Allen, a volunteer with Union Migrante and member of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police.

Workers’ rights were also represented well at the rally. Many speakers emphasized Trump’s attack on federal workers and union rights in general. They connected these attacks with Trump’s broader reactionary agenda.

“The current administration wants to weaken and privatize those programs that have helped millions of people stay housed and cared for. Without these programs, our most vulnerable seniors, our individuals with disabilities, low income families, and our veterans are surely gonna suffer. We’re having none of it!” said Terry McGillis, UMC Hospital nurse and National Nurses United union member.

Jack Saucier, a UPS Teamster and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, provided an example of the power of labor to fight this repression, stating, “The recent decertification under Trump has cost over 700,000 people their bargaining rights. But who won those rights in the first place? We did! In 2010 Wisconsin passed Act 10, stripping all public sector unions of their bargaining rights. But the public rose up and even occupied the state capitol. They showed everybody who’s got the power!” The large crowd roared in unison: “We got the power!”

At the end of each speech, the organizations gave concrete calls to action and many groups passed out flyers and contact sheets. The Hands Off! New Orleans action provided a great avenue for even more people to join in the struggle to resist Trump’s racist, repressive agenda.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #Labor #LGBTQ #Teamsters