GREEN BAY ― About 500 demonstrators have registered to protest in Leicht Park midday Saturday, according to local organizers, though turnout is expected to ultimately be higher with participation from those not signed up, organizers told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The Green Bay event, which kicked off at 11 a.m., is one of the over 1,200 protests across all 50 states Saturday, mobilized under the “Hands Off!” banner against policies enacted under President Donald Trump’s administration.
While not the first mass-organized protest against Trump in his second term, Saturday’s national event has become widely anticipated and circulated following the speed of changes and actions under Trump’s second term and the scope of influence by South African billionaire Elon Musk within the administration.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is the national Hands Off! protest?
The local demonstrators will organize under the national “Hands Off!” branding created by a partnership of 182 organizations, many that have historically been associated with progressive politics.
According to one of the national partner organizations, Indivisible, over 500,000 people were signed up to protest Saturday across all 50 states, an organizational tactic similar to the international Women’s Marches during President Donald Trump’s first term. In Wisconsin, events are scheduled in more than 30 cities, according to a map maintained by the march’s organizers, including in major population centers like Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton and Eau Claire, as well as in smaller communities as far north as Superior, as far west as River Falls and as far south as Beloit.
The target of the protests was what national organizers characterized as “the most brazen power grab in modern history.” Specifically singled out was the influence of South African billionaire Elon Musk in Trump’s second-term administration. Protesters took aim at policies and decisions by the Trump administration, from firing Veteran’s Affairs workers as part of the hunt for government waste to deporting an El Salvadorian man due to an “administrative error.”
TOMORROW: Over 500,000 Americans are taking to the streets at more than 1,200 nationwide events.“One main reason we’re showing up is because we recognize that the creeping authoritarianism is creeping closer and closer towards all of us.”
Posted by Indivisible Guide on Friday, April 4, 2025
National “Hands Off!” organizers made the argument on their website’s “About” page that the government’s actions amounted to “a hostile takeover” by Trump and Musk, that ordinary Americans were the victims of such policies, and that the reaction to protest on Saturday was appropriate.
“This is the moment where we say NO,” they wrote. “No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive.” They continued that, “We’ll show up at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, and city centers – anywhere we can make sure they hear us.”
What’s the protest in Green Bay?
Organizers told the Press-Gazette that the Green Bay event will feature 11 speakers, singing, children’s activities, two food trucks, banners, and a drumline.
When is the Green Bay protest?
The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will conclude at 2 p.m. with a march on Main Street, organizers said.
This story will be updated.
Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. Contact him at 920-834-4250 or jlin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: ‘Hands Off!’ protesters gather at Leicht Park in Green Bay on April 5