'Hands Off!' rallies draw crowds to Triad downtowns Saturday

Thousands of people across North Carolina gathered Saturday to voice concerns about how the Trump Administration is running the federal government.

Protesters gathered at the Old Courthouse in Greensboro and the Courthouse Square in Lexington.

In Winston-Salem, they packed the plaza at the Ward Federal Building. They were part of more than 1,200 such rallies nationwide.

Attendees’ top concerns included cuts to education and the implementation of tariffs. Billionaire Elon Musk’s name appeared on many signs denouncing his budget-cutting efforts.

State Representative Amber Baker, D-Forsyth, says she’s pleased by the Winston-Salem turnout but that the work doesn’t stop here.

“We can't stay in this state of hopelessness because the only way things are going to change is when we get people motivated to continue to be a part of the process,” she says.

At one point, a spontaneous version of the national anthem broke out from the impromptu stage.

Most protesters focused their attention on issues coming from Washington. Rudy Click, a rally organizer with Camel City United Indivisible, says he’s concerned about local matters as well.

"We are not investing in our counties," he says. "Our schools are crumbling. Our infrastructure is falling apart, and our county commissioners cannot go and have a meeting at six o'clock in the afternoon. Outrageous,  outrageous."

He’s referencing the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners' decision not to implement more frequent evening sessions. 

In response to the nationwide rallies, the White House released a statement vowing to protect Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare for eligible beneficiaries. The statement also accused Democrats of pushing policies that could bankrupt the agencies by providing benefits to “illegal aliens.”