Hands Off Protest from a Small City Along the Hudson
A report from Newburgh, NY, the headquarters of George Washington during the War of Independence
Yesterday, April 5, 2025, was a historic day in America and around the world. About 5 million protestors, both at home and abroad, took to the streets to reclaim the power of the people and fight for democracy. I joined the local protest in the small city that I’ve called home for the past six years—Newburgh, New York.
The organizer expected 400 to show up, but due to rain and chilly temperatures in the forecast, there was a possibility of a much smaller number. In the end, 500 people from the city itself and towns across both sides of the Hudson River showed up in good spirits. I saw folks of all ages, from Gen Zs to Boomers. From the messages on the signs they held, it was clear that the Trump regime’s executive orders and so-called policies have created a negative impact on every aspect of life of every segment of our population (except for the billionaires and multi-millionaires).
Hands Off: Medicaid, Social Security, Free Speech, Education, Veterans Affairs, Museums, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women’s Rights to Their Bodies, Vaccines, NIH, FDA, Our Allies, and even Sesame Street! The most creative sign—one that made me laugh out loud—was a T-shirt with the words: “Alexa, Change the President!”
A Voice for the Immigrants
On my sign, I wrote “Hands Off Immigrants,” because most people with an immigrant background, whether documented or not, were likely too terrified to be out in the street protesting. I used my privilege as a citizen to represent their voice. But to be honest, I had some fears about being illegally snatched in the street by ICE simply because I look “foreign.” Luckily, the march was peaceful and the police just sat in their cars without interfering. As we walked along a busy road that flanked the Hudson River, almost all the cars honked in support. Such solidarity has never been felt or seen in this quiet, sleepy city in all the years I’ve lived here!
Within the City of Newburgh, Whites and Hispanic people respectively make up roughly 40% of the total population. But I did not see any Hispanic folks in the protest at all, save for a 20-something Councilwoman, the youngest in the City Council. Blacks represent about 17% of the city’s population and there were a handful of them at the rally. Asians represent less than 2%, and I was among the three who showed up, the other two being Gen Zs.
Reflecting on what I saw, I came to the realization that, besides the fear of being arrested and detained among the immigrant population of our community, there are a few factors that I believe were at play:
Information disconnect: Spanish-speaking people are not getting the news that tell them the truth and what they need to know about the state of the nation (many listen to right-wing media outlets that manipulate their communities to get them to vote for Trump).
Workers don’t have time for this: Many people struggle economically and have to work in the weekends to provide for their families.
As for the mostly white folks who showed up, I realized that they carry with them the privilege of being the knower of the truth and the owner of bodies that allow them to be relatively safe in today’s America. They may not have realized it, but by showing up, they were also speaking out for the underprivileged who fear to be seen simply by being who they are. I think it’s important for them to understand this dynamic and to continue playing the important role of not just speaking up for their own rights but as allies for those without a voice.
As for me, besides speaking up for the immigrants, I also shared with my protest buddy my experience of having witnessed democracy, freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong disappear under the hands of a dictatorship. I drove home the message that it was more important than ever to gather and protest when we still could!
Look at South Korea! The people literally took back their power by protesting and forcing their President Yoon Suk Yeol out of his high chair after he declared martial law last December in an attempt to make himself a dictator. The high emotions that erupted as the people waited for the Constitution Court’s verdict were deeply touching. Watching South Koreans of all generations crying in relief and elation inspired me to think that, yes, we Americans could reclaim our power too.
A Clear Signal to Washington D.C.
All cross America, the message that protestors sent to the cowards in Washington D.C. could not be more clear!
No, we don’t want a dictatorship.
No, we don’t want to be exploited, impoverished and enslaved by a handful of oligarchs for the rest of our lives.
Yes, we want justice, human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law.
All of these have been stripped away in a fast and furious and illegal manner. We the people will not tolerate this any longer!
As
eloquently writes in his essay “It Only Breaks If You Break it”:The system broke not with a bang, but with a shrug.
Change never feels big while it’s happening. It feels like one person deciding they’ve had enough. One act of conscience. One honest word in a sea of lies.
You don't need to be Churchill.
You don’t even need to be Colvin, Parks or Havel.
You just need to act when the moment calls for it—because every action tells the system what it can and cannot get away with.And when enough people act—even in different places, even for different reasons—systems shift.
And this:
Authoritarians don’t fall because they’re wrong. They fall because the people protecting them realize they’re going down with the ship.
They don’t fear truth. They fear losing control of the narrative. They fear becoming irrelevant. They fear being on the wrong side of history, not because of guilt—but because of career death, social exile, or real-world consequences.
At the Newburgh rally, New York State Senator James Skoufis told the story of what Benjamin Franklin said to a lady (Mrs. Powel of Philada) after he exited the hall of the Constitutional Convention:
A lady asked Dr. Franklin, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” “A republic,” replied the Doctor, “if you can keep it.”1 (Note: punctuations and emphasis are mine)
Voices from Small Towns and Remote Villages
Besides sending a strong signal to the politicians in D.C., I think the gathering of people created a sense of unity, that we're all in it—both the mess and the fight—together.
For people in remote villages, small towns and small cities in America, the impact of such gatherings is especially far-reaching. Isolation is one of the biggest issues in America. It creates an illusion that we are alone, disparate and powerless.
Personally, I have felt a sense of despair since the election because nobody in my community seemed to care what I care so deeply about. But when we see people gather in the streets, sharing and expressing our collective anger and aspirations in chants and songs, it tells us a different story and mobilizes us into further action. When politicians see us band together, the strength is undeniable.
Hopefully the lawmakers in D.C. will take the clue and do something about the national and international crisis we’re in! Their reelections will depend on whether they can satisfy their bases, and right now, their bases are fed up and extremely angry.2
Besides a renewed sense of hope, we protestors also felt re-energized and re-connected to our community.
Being there among the protestors had lift me up from my despair and depression that had lingered for months. It felt therapeutic to share my anger and frustration with others who felt the same. It was also extremely helpful to know that I was not alone in wanting this spiral toward a dystopia to end!
At the end of the protest, there were calls for action from county and state legislators, including veteran politicians and a young councilwoman, as well as many politically engaged Gen Zs. Their calls for action were for people to continue their activism by participating in local elections and engaging in community causes. This felt like a delayed awakening, but as long as there are people—lots of people, who fight alongside you, there is hope.
I want to wrap up this report by telling you an interesting piece of history that happened just a few blocks away from our rally yesterday.
Did you know that Newburgh was the headquarters of the Continental Army in the War of Independence? Yes, it was, from April 1782 until the latter part of 1783.
According to the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands:
During that time, George Washington resided in the Hasbrouck House on Kings Highway in Newburgh. It was from here that Washington quelled the Newburgh Conspiracy, a move by some of the Army’s senior officers to overthrow the government. It was also here that General Washington received the famous Newburgh letter from Lewis Nicola, a Colonel in the Continental Army, proposing that the General become king. George Washington vehemently refused the crown, making Newburgh the birth-place of the Republic. In honor of his refusal of the crown, Kings Highway was renamed Liberty Street.3
#HandsOff2025
The politicians I refer to do not include Trump. Apparently, he intends to continue into a third term and a fair election isn’t necessary in his mind.
Thank you for the interesting account of the protest in your town which made me feel like I was there, and yes, it is true from a place of privilege we can speak for those who fear to take part in protests because they’re unfairly targeted. So glad you could be part of this historic day. I was there in spirit!