TULSA, Okla. — Hundreds of people gathered at two protests in Tulsa on April 5. The demonstrations were part of a nationwide effort called "Hands Off," which was meant to be a show of solidarity against recent actions taken by federal government members and billionaire Elon Musk.
The "Hands Off" protests in Tulsa were held at Dreamkeeper's Park near 21st and Boulder, just outside downtown Tulsa, and along parts of the 71st and Memorial intersection.
Protesters at Dreamkeeper’s Park sang patriotic songs like “My Country 'Tis of Thee” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and chanted “Hands off”: Hands off social security, hands off medicare, hands off veterans, hands off the constitution.
Protesters held signs with messages including "Hands off our democracy" and "No to tyranny."
2 News Oklahoma’s Douglas Braff spoke to participants and learned why they turned out; people like Marcus braved the cold, wet, and windy weather to make their voices heard.
“The decimation of our country that's on its way” is why, he said. “And it's a great country. We've done great for 250 years of democracy.”
But, “we’ve gotten used to a dictator,” he lamented.
Among other reasons, he told us his niece had just gotten her PhD in immunology and was heading to the National Institutes of Health in Nashville.
Then, Marcus recalled, “Lo and behold, she gets a message saying, ‘No, no, no, they defunded that. You're out.’”
“We look at what happened with Covid, and that was a fiasco,” he added, “and we're headed for more.”
Another protest happened at the intersection of 71st and Memorial in Tulsa. Protesters waved signs and flags, and shouted “hands off” at passing drivers, occasionally replying with supportive honks.
One woman named Janet told 2 News, “I thought it was really important to come here today, to lift my voice up with all these people, push back and fight back.”
As for why she was out demonstrating, she said, “Tell them [the Trump administration], ‘Hands off Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid; stop stealing our money from tax breaks for the wealthy.’ I'm just not gonna stand by.”
Despite worries about the present, the protesters we listened to were hopeful for the future, nonetheless.
We asked Janet if she thinks the “Hands Off” protests in Tulsa and around the country would make an impact. She replied: “Yes, I do. Absolutely.”
When pressed on how the protests would do that, she explained, “Well, especially in places like this, in the red states and … even though Tulsa is one of the more-- has more progressive elements to it for Oklahoma. … I think it will make an impact.”
Marcus emphasized, “I think that we can get back. I have hope. I have faith. What else can you do? You can't give up.”
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