‘I Am Everything that Donald Trump and Elon Musk Want to Erase’
Marginalized communities make their presence felt at massive demonstrations
With his flurry of executive orders over the past several weeks, Donald Trump has increasingly pushed to erase entire populations and communities from public life.
They include migrants, transgender Americans, and people of color.
But representatives from these groups made sure to make their presence felt this weekend at the more than 1,200 Hands Off! protests across the United States and overseas.
Crowds of peaceful demonstrators gathered in cities large and small, from Washington DC and New York City, to Anchorage, Alaska, and beyond.
The message and purpose was to oppose Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to dismantle federal programs on which working class Americans and others rely, as well as what they have done to impose authoritarianism in the United States.
And while Trump, particularly, has been targeting trans people, people of color, disabled people and more, in an attempt to push them back into the margins of society, representatives of these communities made clear that they have no intention of disappearing.
That includes a pair who spoke at the protest held at the Washington Monument in the nation’s capital.
Gabriel Eaton traveled to the Washington rally from Wisconsin, to give a rousing and defiant speech.
“Hello, beautiful people. My name is Gabe and I am from La Crosse, Wis. That is the Wisconsin where the richest person in the world spent millions of dollars trying to buy a state Supreme Court seat, and he failed!” Eaton said, referring to the state Supreme Court election last week in the state, where the liberal candidate won despite Musk pouring more than $20 million in a campaign for the right-winger in the race.
“Let me tell you a little about myself. I am Black, I am Filipino, Japanese, second-generation. And I am a disabled trans-man,” Eaton said. “But I am also a Medicaid patient. I am also a person who uses food stamps. I am also a person who has been through houselessness in this country. I am also a person who has gone through substance use and addiction. And most of all, I am a patient of Planned Parenthood.
“I am everything that Donald Trump and Elon Musk want to erase. I am everything they want to silence, with every executive order come with every safety net they slash, every hateful word they say, they want me to go away,” he added. “So, in case they are listening down the street, which I doubt they are, hello! I am here, I exist.
“We as people all exist!” Eaton said, to enthusiastic cheering.
Greisa Martinez Rosas is an activist who also spoke in Washington and made it clear that migrants are not going quietly.
“I‘m an immigrant, undocumented, unafraid, queer and unashamed,” she said, to loud applause. “I lead the organization —the most beautiful organization — called United We Dream Action , the nation‘s largest network of immigrant young people fighting for queer rights, immigrant rights, and the rights of everyday working-class people.
“So, you all look so beautiful. I wish you can be in this space. I want to say, ‘Take a moment to say high-five to your neighbor. Hey, what‘s up, neighbor. We are doing this. We‘ve got this,’ she said. “Yes, I‘m here today because this fight is about all of us. Not just the people standing here on this podium but this fight is about you. About the people that you love. About the people that you miss. Those we lost and those that we are waiting for. Our babies.
“We are facing a national flashpoint. There is a creepy cult of billionaires that have bought their way into our government,” she added.
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