Demonstrations Versus Tyranny / Liz Goldner

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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles.

 — Emma Lazarus, from “The New Colossus,” 1893,

mounted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

All photographs of the April 5th Hands Off! demonstration in Santa Ana, courtesy of Ken Forbes.

Attending a “Hands Off” rally in Santa Ana, California on April 5 — one of 1,400 mass action demonstrations across all 50 states that day, all protesting the Trump administration’s toxic policies and overt corruption — I carried with me a deep sense of frustration knowing that our country was already in a constitutional crisis. And that ongoing crisis was certain to affect my own life and the lives of my family members, friends and so many of the people in my extended community. Yet as I met and talked with several of the thousands of attendees at the rally — people of all ages, races, cultures and sexual orientations — my frustration turned into understanding, a reassuring sense that our nationwide community of protestors will ultimately defeat the evil actions of our present government.

On balance, then, I found the rally to be healing. I realized that when people unify and support each other, they empower each other to become courageous protagonists in an unshakable force for justice. I also realized that, while court cases against this administration are important, public demonstrations attended by numerous proactive people are essential to our recovery of democracy.

The rally at Sasscer Park in Santa Ana was organized by a coalition of organizations, some nationally based, others local. Among those is Indivisible, “a progressive grassroots movement of millions of activists across every state, fueled by a partnership between thousands of autonomous local Indivisible groups and a national staff.” They are pledged to be pro-democracy, to fight fascism, and to work to defeat the Trump agenda and elect and influence local, state, and federal leaders who reflect their constituents' values.

More than a dozen people spoke at the rally. My Congressman, Dave Min (D, CA-47), lucidly criticized the administration’s approach to governing. “I am proud to be joining my friends and neighbors in telling Donald Trump and his minions to keep his Hands Off our democracy, our constitution, and lifeline programs like Social Security and Medicaid,” he said, while encouraging chants from the crowd exclaiming, “None of this is legal.” Min also criticized Trump’s tariffs for tanking global markets, putting more economic pressure on working Americans and threatening retirement savings. “People are freaked out right now,” he said. “So where is Donald Trump? Where is our president?” “Golfing!” the crowd shouted back.

Other speakers from the formerly red Orange County addressed cuts to public education, healthcare access, Social Security and Medicaid, veterans’ rights, labor rights, deportations without due process, and more. All insisted that the survival of our democracy is essential. An invocation was given by Pastor Beth Chairavalle of First Christian Church of Orange. “Though I am a Christian,” she said, “I recognize that we are a movement of every faith and creed, all of whom are equal in the eyes of creation.” The huge crowd then observed a few moments of silence with personal prayers. Event coordinator/Indivisible Orange County lead organizer Amy Stevens followed, offering her own comments on faith, then led us in singing our National Anthem.

One rally attendee told me that while our country is moving in the wrong direction, being there helps dispel his personal frustration and sense of loneliness in our world today. Another expressed dismay at our country’s loss of so many valuable services and relief at being able to share his feelings at the rally. A third attendee said that he came to the rally to protest the growing oligarchy that is destroying our country with their personal greed.

Photographer Ken Forbes, who took the photos of the rally that accompany this article, has been demonstrating against Trump since his first term as President. “But Trump 2.0 has been mind boggling,” he says. Forbes was also instrumental in helping form the Orange County branch of Indivisible. The many demonstrations he attends connect him to a larger community of activists.

Two weeks later I attended a National Day of Protest in Laguna Beach. Flanked by throngs of tourists on a sunny Saturday afternoon, several hundred people carried to the Main Beach location their clever home-made signs, along with their resolve to defeat Trump’s illegal and immoral actions. The energy, determination and comradery of the participants in the historic art community was echoed by the numerous cars honking their horns in support as they drove along PCH.

I talked with a number of attendees at that rally as well. One aspect of conversation was fervent expressions of anger at Trump’s defiance of Federal and Supreme Court orders, most recently, his refusal to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home from an El Salvador prison. Another topic was the ardent belief that as more and more people join these protest movements locally and nationwide to demonstrate their opposition to Trump, we will remain on the right track to defeat him and his policies. A few participants discussed the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2024 Presidential Immunity ruling, that the President is immune from criminal prosecution for all "official acts." The demonstration became a forum of concerned citizens who were determined to save our country from tyranny.

David Brooks wrote in the New York Times on April 17, “I don’t naturally march in demonstrations or attend rallies that I’m not covering as a journalist. But this is what America needs right now. Trump is shackling the greatest institutions in American life.” Brooks added on the PBS Newshour on April 18, “If you look down through history, there have been social movements, these kinds of civic uprising that have succeeded.”

Our country thrives when we the people realize that we are the leading protagonists. Then, based on determination and unity, we take bold actions to ensure a thriving democracy that supports and nurtures all residents, citizens or not. The Statue of Liberty, that “Mother of Exiles,” shall prevail.

Liz Goldner is an award-winning art writer based in Laguna Beach. She has contributed to the LA Times, LA Weekly, KCET Artbound, Artillery, AICA-USA Magazine, Orange County Register, Art Ltd. and several other print and online publications. She has written reviews for ArtScene and Visual Art Source since 2009. 

Liz Goldner’s Website.