# “Hands Off!” mass rallies scheduled nationwide for April 5 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [March 31, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417 "2025-03-31T18:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/41 "2025-04-04T16:42:20Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Tell people what most already believe may work. I think Martin Luther King Jr did that before passage of civil rights bills. In fact, 75% of Americans thought MLK was too extreme in 1964, as you would know if you’d listened to the video Typo linked. [Here’s a link to the transcript](https://skepchick.org/2025/04/study-black-lives-matter-protests-beat-trump/) if, like me, you prefer reading. Protestors are _always_ unpopular, but not always ineffective. The general public’s dislike of MLK didn’t stop the Civil Rights Act or Brown vs. Board. CMC was talking about the Vietnam War protests, which were also unpopular, and were completely successful in their goal of achieving unconditional US withdrawal from Vietnam. More recently, the only Presidential campaign season of the last three to feature massive, unpopular left-wing demonstrations was the only one the Democrats won. The linked transcript discusses a recent study showing that this was actually causative, that the demonstrations did in fact shift public opinion to the left. Nobody is claiming that this brief talk about a single study constitutes a “review of the literature”, but it was published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal, so it’s certainly worthy of discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/42 "2025-04-04T19:38:54Z")
@ThelmaLou, I appreciate your having started this thread earlier. I live amid Republicans but did find a rally worth my attendance. So excellent! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/43 "2025-04-04T20:15:42Z")
Good for you! 👍🏼 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/44 "2025-04-04T20:36:06Z")
Y’all be safe. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/45 "2025-04-04T20:56:31Z")
I’ll be going to the Santa Barbara one. It’s a very blue area so I highly doubt that there will be trouble. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/46 "2025-04-04T22:13:15Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > In fact, 75% of Americans thought MLK was too extreme in 1964, as you would know if you’d listened to the video Typo linked. [Here’s a link to the transcript](https://skepchick.org/2025/04/study-black-lives-matter-protests-beat-trump/) if, like me, you prefer reading. Thank you. Yes, I like to read and did not listen to her whole video. As for the 75 percent, she gives that figure, but it is unattributed. Anyway, there is no contradiction between median voters thinking that MLK was too extreme and saying that his speeches made claims that were popular. I have no problem with a squad Democrat addressing a protest tomorrow if they are talking about Trump’s least popular policy, tariffs. Public opinion was changing in the early 60’s with regard to civil rights for Black people, and I’m open to peaceful moderate protest having helped. Note the MLK and associates spent a lot of time considering what sort of protests would and would not work, and would not have been comfortable with how .Rebecca Watson plays around with the idea of burning Teslas. I’m also thinking that anti-semitism was also going down in the early 1960’s without so much protest. . ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/47 "2025-04-04T22:17:53Z")
We’re going. 🇺🇲 🇲🇽 🇨🇦 🇺🇦 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/48 "2025-04-04T23:20:41Z")
Regardless of whether it will achieve any immediate results, we have to stand up for our rights. It’s our obligation as Americans to speak out against the onset of Fascism. This moment in history demands it of us. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/49 "2025-04-04T23:23:46Z")
Joan Osborne sings “Hands off of things that don’t belong to you!” The song’s 5 years old, well here we go again: A theme song for the “Hands Off” protests. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8MKMfG_1tWE/maxresdefault.jpg "Joan Osborne - Hands Off (Official Lyric Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MKMfG_1tWE) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/50 "2025-04-04T23:24:49Z")
I’m not saying I’m going to the protest because I’m a fan, but I’m still tickled: [https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/02/dropkick-murphys-boston-hands-off-protest](https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2025/04/02/dropkick-murphys-boston-hands-off-protest) > The Dropkick Murphys are joining Boston’s “Hands Off” protest against the[Trump administration](https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/trump-harvard-funding-antisemitism-investigation) and billionaire Elon Musk. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/51 "2025-04-05T16:42:27Z")
How about some reports from those who are attending? ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/52 "2025-04-05T17:36:54Z")
The rally I went to was promoting those in the Department of Education. About half appeared to local advocates associated with the school board. They held signs, waved at passersby with responding honks and a couple returning f-bombs. We could be somewhat effective for attendees at a rally. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/53 "2025-04-05T17:56:19Z")
It’s really hard to find coverage of this on TV. Mostly I’ve been browsing through the “Live News” channels on YouTube. Some of those crowds look pretty big. I hope there will be some fairly reliable statistics at the end of the day. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/54 "2025-04-05T17:59:46Z")
Mine is in two hours ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/55 "2025-04-05T18:06:46Z")
My wife wanted to go the one here in MSP, but that just isn’t going to happen, for a variety of reasons 1. It’s 35F with a stiff wind blowing. 2. I can’t stand on concrete for very long without having back issues. 3. I hate crowds. 4. The possibility of bad actors, while slim, is still there. 5. Parking anywhere nearby is not possible. 6. I don’t wanna go. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/56 "2025-04-05T18:09:39Z")
I’ve been scanning some Reddit posts. Boston seems to have had a great turnout. I am just not physically able to engage in this kind of activity. Cheers to everyone who did. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/57 "2025-04-05T18:11:35Z")
My activism for the day is calling my representatives and making donations to organizations like the local food bank. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/58 "2025-04-05T18:12:01Z")
Great crowd in Asheville today. Several thousand. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/59 "2025-04-05T18:18:37Z")
Headed out the door for the half hour walk to the San Luis Obispo courthouse. We’re a college town, so we may get a decent turnout. I’m never sure what to do at these things; I’m not a chanter or shouter. But it’s a nice day and I can use the exercise. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417/60 "2025-04-05T18:39:38Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’m not a chanter or shouter. But it’s a nice day and I can use the exercise. This. It’s finally warmed up on the Central Coast. I’m driving there in my Tesla though [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-off-mass-rallies-scheduled-nationwide-for-april-5/1016417.md?page=4)