Protesters gathered together as part of a nationwide “Hands Off!” movement to defend rights and services that they said are under attack in downtown Bakersfield on April 5. The rally began in front of the Liberty Bell on Truxtun Ave. and concluded with a march to Rep. David Valadao’s office.
Protest leaders reminded the crowd that they weren’t alone, that more than 1,300 similar events were happening in every state across the country that same day.
Speakers talked about the risks to services and rights like Medicaid, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and workers’ rights that they claimed are being taken away under the Trump Administration.
“Our government’s been sold and it didn’t happen overnight. This started years ago with Citizens United. Now billionaires like Elon Musk can spend hundreds of millions to try and buy our democracy. But we’ve got something more powerful: we’ve got the people,” said Neel Sannappa, from the Working Families Party.
Protesters rallied against what they called a sweeping attack on rights and protections. One of the protesters was Ryan Randalls, 31, vice president of his local steelworkers union.
“For me, ‘Hands Off’ means a lot. Hands off women’s bodies, hands off our rights, our unions, our healthcare, our wages,” said Randalls. “They’re taking everything away and handing it over to the billionaires and corporations. It’s all connected. We’re here to say no more.”
Randalls said the need not only for protest but for sustained civic action. “It’s not just about showing up. We have to keep talking to people, get them to vote, push for real change. We want that power back in the hands of the people.”
It was the first protest with his partner, Seava Bockover, 26. “I’ve always supported these movements from the sidelines,” she said. “But now, things have just gotten too crazy. You can’t stay quiet anymore.”
Bockover shared more about what drives their activism. “Ryan cares deeply about our son, who’s autistic, about our trans friends and family, about people from every background. It’s incredible, especially knowing he was raised in a conservative family. He always says he didn’t need to be taught what was right, it just came naturally.”
The pair, along with others, rallied under a shared belief: that rights belong to the people, not the powerful.
“I’m so concerned about what’s happening with our county. It’s not the time to stay home and twiddle our thumbs,” said Stella Rouse, Kern County community member. “This is the time for action because there are so many things that are really troubling about what this administration is doing and it’s really not America as we know it.”
There were hundreds of community members across Kern County that showed up, all advocating for different rights and services that are being targeted from these last months such as Medicare, LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights.
“There are people ripping apart our government that we can’t not let anymore, so we’re standing up and saying it proud that this can’t happen and it needs to stop,” said Gabriel Benavides, Communications Director for Kern County Young Democrats.
One of the reasons why Benavides is at the protest is due to the recent decisions to cut Medicaid, something that will largely affect half of the community in Bakersfield, as well as fighting for women’s rights and farm workers rights.
Photo Gallery: Hundreds of people together at the “Hands Off!” rally in downtown Bakersfield on April 5. The rally began in front of the Liberty Bell and ended with a march to Rep. David Valadao’s office. Hundreds gathered to protest the Trump Administration’s policies and advocate for human rights, healthcare, education, and economic justice.
