As a nation, the United States of America prides itself on the freedoms afforded to all individual citizens, one of which being the freedom for all people to peacefully assemble and petition the government for any redress of grievances.
On April 5, 2025, a coordinated nationwide series of protests, organized under the Hands Off initiative, saw nearly 600,000 individuals sign up to exercise their right to protest against action taken by the Trump administration. These protests numbered nearly 1,400 and, according to the Hands Off website, addressed grievances including budget cuts to the Department of Veteran Affairs, the low taxation of billionaires, the “gutting” of protections for many and various other changes.
Across Ventura, Calif. the cities of Thousand Oaks, Ojai and Ventura held these protests in association with the Hands Off initiative. In Ventura, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., organizations including Indivisible Ventura and Ojai Valley, Justice For All Ventura County and 50501 partnered with Hands Off to form a unified coalition. In the words of Shane Meserve, board president for Justice For All Ventura County, “Basically, [we] were connected … with this theme of hands off, [telling the] federal government hands off my social security, hands off my education, hands off my medicare … [and] my body.”
And many in the Ventura area felt these issues were worth fighting for. An estimated 1,300 protesters gathered along Victoria Ave. and Telegraph Rd. in front of the County of Ventura Government Center. These protesters ranged from political activists with decades of protests behind them to high school and college students inheriting their position of having political power in the United States. At the height of the protest, meters of sidewalk were packed with rows of people of all ages and backgrounds, bearing signs including slogans like “No king, no fascist,” “We won’t go back,” “No theocracy, no oligarchy” and “Hands off.” Support for the protest not only came from the protesters but from the roads as, throughout the demonstration, the near-continuous sound of supportive honking from passing cars could be heard.
These protesters all came in support of Hands Off, but through their own experiences, they brought unique perspectives and depth to the protest as a whole. One protester, Steve DeGroot, stated, “Primarily, [my biggest issue is] social security, but there are so many other reasons to be here. [President Trump] is just crashing our country, the greatness that this nation really is is of all the hard work and effort of the working people. Trump and his billionaires … just dismiss it all, but today it is a new day,” expressing a common view among attendees. Others, including Robin Sturgeon, said, “It’s happening so fast, we have to react as quickly as possible. There are so many of our rights being trampled on now, [and] it’s good to get out.”
Ramiro Santos, a freshman at Ventura College, stated, “I couldn’t even begin to list [all my grievances] if we’re being honest. I think it’s very apparent that our government does not care about us. I believe that the 60 million Americans who still support [President Trump] are inherently working against themselves.” Later, Santos added “I just hope that our message is heard, and I know we can’t do anything about it right now … I hope we elect someone … [that,] truthfully, respects our democratic process.”
According to DeGroot, “Ventura has never seen anything like this,” and the impact a large-scale protest can have is immense. For many, the high turnout rate drove higher hopes for the future, and many felt this protest was successful both locally and nationally. Reflecting on the event, President Meserves stated, “People aren’t sitting at home by themselves upset, they came out to be together … but we still have a lot of work to do.”
That idea, despite the successes of the day, remained on the minds of many. To Sturgeon, “physically coming and exercising our first amendment rights [is necessary] or we’ll lose them. I do know, this is not the last time we’re gonna be out here.” Others, like Degroot insisted that people, especially “younger” people, “can be part of the solution too.”
In agreeance with Degroot, and when asked about what other high schoolers can do, Ventura High School (VHS) student Henry Oesterle ‘27, expressed “[We] need to protest, we’re going to be in control and in the workforce in a couple of years and, like, America’s getting effed up right now and we need to do something about.”
With the Hands Off protests continuing through early April across the nation, and further protests continuing in places like the Camarillo Tesla store, it is clear that citizens’ political unrest was not satiated with one mass protest. The future of the United States of America hangs in the balance between mass political change and large-scale civilian pushback. It is up to individuals to decide how they will or will not be involved in America’s political landscape for the coming months and years. In the words of Santos, “I’m just curious to see what millions of young Americans can do.”
