“Hands Off!” is the message Indivisible Port Townsend has for Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Republicans enabling them. On Saturday, April 5, Indivisible groups and other grassroots organizations will hit the streets to demonstrate against the Trump administration’s destructive power grab.

Musk’s DOGE agents are gutting government agencies and slashing the services that improve the lives of average Americans. They have even demanded access to our private data. And for what? To give a whopping tax cut and sweetheart business deals to billionaires!

On Saturday, April 5, at 1 p.m., Indivisible Port Townsend and friends will line East Sims Way near the reader board at Jefferson Street. Folks who are ready to speak up against Trump’s overreach, the cuts to services and the threat to democracy are invited to join our peaceful protest with signs and noisemakers. Over 800 “Hands Off!” events are scheduled across the country in state capitals and cities large and small.

Port Townsend Indivisible started meeting early in 2017. Many of us came home from the massive Women’s March the day after Trump’s first inauguration and wondered: What can we do next?

Two former Congressional staffers, Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, had just put together a citizens’ guide to activism, pointing out ways to have influence on Congress even with your team in the minority. We started an informal group allied with Levin and Greenberg’s new Indivisible movement.

This network of community-based organizations grew quickly, and Indivisible Port Townsend has met every month since then. We’ve advocated for fair elections, worked on voter education and turnout, and communicated our ideas to our elected representatives. We are all volunteers and we are completely self-funded. At meetings, we ask our members to chip in a few dollars to pay for meeting space, office supplies and the odd banner.

Since the 2024 election, participation in Indivisible groups has soared across the country. Indivisible Port Townsend had 170 people at our March meeting. People of various political stripes are eager to find ways to push back against Trump’s threats to democracy and the rule of law. They want to be part of a supportive community that resists the fear and intimidation moves that are part of a dictator’s playbook.

These new members are also taking part in our action teams, which work between the larger meetings to study issues and develop timely actions our members might take. We have teams for elections, environment, foreign affairs, health care, communications, organizing social functions, etc. We put out a monthly newsletter and have a growing presence on Bluesky (1,400 plus followers) and Facebook (1,300 plus members).

We must take to the street to hold Trump accountable to the American people. Trump is “flooding the zone” with orders and will continue to do so. He is bullying the states and universities with threats of withdrawing funding for those who don’t toe his line. He does not respect the constitutional limits of his authority, the separation of powers, the right of free speech, or the obligations of our alliances.

The institutions that might have held Trump accountable have been inadequate so far. The Inspectors General are gone. The judicial process is slow. Rather than respect the judiciary, Trump and his supporters are calling for impeachment of federal judges. House Speaker Mike Johnson is even threatening to defund the federal judiciary. We cannot be confident that Trump will comply with the courts.

Under Trump’s orders, Musk and his DOGE agents have drastically reduced staff at federal agencies, cutting services that the American people rely on every day. The IRS will collect less revenue. Protections for our private data have gone out the window. Veterans’ services are reduced. Seniors with questions for Social Security and Medicare cannot get answers. The Department of Education could be shuttered.

Congress has been unwilling to challenge Trump on behalf of the people they represent. The budget resolution will devastate Medicaid and rural health care. This is not the way to increase efficiency but rather a method to break the government for the benefit of the most wealthy.

The 2026 midterms are not far away, and we are especially concerned that Trump’s asserted authority over election law, changes in state and federal election laws, and disregard for the rights of voters will undermine the legitimacy of the election.

The next monthly meeting of Indivisible Port Townsend is at 5:30 p.m. on April 8 at the Jefferson County Fairground’s Erickson Building. We will hear from our teams and from a panel of leading educators about threats to public education. The full calendar of group events can be found on the website ptindivisiblehuddle.org.

Gina McMather is leadership team chair for Indivisible Port Townsend.