Protesters hold Hands Off! rallies in Livermore, San Ramon

Protesters in Livermore and San Ramon joined the nationwide Hands Off! mobilization Saturday to decry recent actions by the Trump administration.  

Hundreds flocked to the Livermorium Plaza on South Livermore Avenue, holding signs that demanded U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk — Tesla CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency — keep their hands off education, health care, social programs that serve veterans and vulnerable populations, among others.  

Joe Wiley said Trump was ruining the country he fought for in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968.  

“I’ve taken that oath twice,” he said, speaking of the pledge required from those in the military to defend the Constitution. “I believed it when I took it, and I believe it now. (Trump) has screwed up the things that I really care about.” 

The Livermore demonstration was part of a national Hands Off! movement to launch protests in every state following Trump actions that have included — but were not limited to — rolling back rights for LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, withdrawing from international climate agreements, laying off federal employees and attempting to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, according to organizers.  

Another group of hundreds of protesters gathered along Bollinger Canyon Road outside San Ramon City Hall for their own Hands Off! rally — among 17 organized movements in the Bay Area and more than 1,000 nationwide on Saturday. 

The protests took place on the same day the U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution that included spending cuts and tax breaks that Democrats said could lead to cutting programs like Medicaid in order to pay for tax cuts they say will largely serve the wealthy. 

The Hands Off! website, HandsOff2025.com, called it the most brazen power grab in modern history.  

“Trump, Musk and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy and our basic rights — enabled by Congress every step of the way,” according to the website. “They want to strip America for parts — shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid — all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.” 

While protesting with his wife in Livermore on Saturday, Joe Murphy, a veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, spoke about how tired he was of spending money for never-ending wars. He said he worried about losing the health care he currently receives through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

“We could build a much better union if we save some of that money and put it into health care,” Murphy said.

— Story by Aly Brown, Bay City News Service. Embarcadero Media Foundation East Bay Division editorial director Jeremy Walsh contributed.

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