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An estimated 4,000 community members gathered in downtown Syracuse Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his agenda since returning to office.

Throughout Forman Park, protestors yelled and cheered in what many called the largest demonstration they’d ever witnessed in Syracuse. Before speakers kicked off the event, groups marched in from surrounding neighborhoods with protest signs.

The rally was one of more than 1,300 “Hands Off!” protests nationwide condemning the Trump administration’s efforts to limit LGBTQ+ and immigrants’ rights, shutter federal agencies like the Department of Education, and undo climate protections, among others. Tom Keck, a member of the Central New York Solidarity Coalition, said the name “Hands Off!” encapsulates the movement’s widespread frustrations with the president and exposes the urgency of their demands.

“We’re all here to say to Donald Trump and Elon Musk — Hands off our schools. Hands off our Social Security. Hands off our health care. Hands off our democracy. Hands off our bodies,” Keck, who is also a professor in Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, said. “They don’t represent us. They’re harming central New York. They’re harming the country.”

Out of every issue inspiring protestors to come together, Tyler Toledo, the president of College Democrats at SU, said he was there to fight for his right to peacefully protest in the first place.

Toledo said he’s seen firsthand the fear many students have of protesting in the wake of the rapid visa removals and the expulsions by universities. The Trump administration has also threatened federal funding cuts to universities if they fail to comply with its policies.

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department has the power to crack down on the protestors as a result of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows officials to deport non-citizens who are “adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests” of the nation, BBC reported. Toledo argued protestors aren’t being arrested for threatening public safety, but for objecting to the president’s agenda.

He also said the protests in Syracuse and across the country show the administration is failing in what he believes is its main objective of quieting dissident voices.

“(With) the thousands of protests across the country, (it’s clear) that people are upset. It’s not a minority online. It is a majority in this country that is not happy,” Toledo said. “And we are just a handful of those upset across the country, and we are going to be as loud as possible to make sure things change in our favor.”

Collin Snyder | Staff Photographer

Community members protest against President Trump’s agenda, with speakers voicing opposition to policies affecting healthcare, education, and immigration. The demonstration, one of over 1,300 nationwide, reflected a growing frustration and a call for change from a broad coalition of Syracuse residents.

Gabe Smith, a Syracuse resident, held up a pride flag that read “We The People.” Smith said he became emotional as he looked at his nine-year-old daughter, who he brought to the protest, to teach what he saw as a vital lesson.

“(I wanted) to show her what it’s like to have to come out here and try to make a change for your country, even in the darkest times,” Smith said. “(If) enough people show up across the country then we could really make something happen.”

Smith previously attended a protest in Clinton Square after Trump’s first victory in 2016, but said he was struck by the much larger attendance of Saturday’s protest.

Mara Sapon-Shevin, a professor emeritus in Syracuse University’s School of Education, said in the over three decades she’s spent as an activist in the city, she’d never seen such a large and passionate crowd. She said this protest was just the start of a growing anti-Trump movement in the country.

“I think it’s a wake-up moment for this country, and I’m really pleased to see people who’ve said, ‘I’ve never been to a demonstration before, but this seems like the moment,’” Sapon-Shevin said. “So that’s what’s exciting to me. I’ve been doing this my whole life, but I’m thrilled to see new faces.”

One of those new faces included Lily, who asked not to share her last name due to concerns for her safety and job security as a teacher. She said she normally stayed away from protests, but decided to attend after witnessing what she felt were Trump’s attacks on people she has close connections with.

“Doing nothing is complacency…I have a brother with a disability. I have a brother and friends (who are) part of the LGBTQ community. I’m a teacher,” Lily said. “So everything that I’m seeing dismantled right in front of our eyes is going to impact not only me, but people I love and people I don’t know.”

On March 20, Trump signed an executive order shuttering the DOEd besides its “core necessities,” including Pell Grants and money for students with disabilities. The administration has said it aims to give power back to the states when it comes to teaching their students. But, Pete Bartolotta, a building representative for the Syracuse Teachers Association, said he believes the administration is not paying attention to the possible consequences of ending the DOEd.

He attended the protest out of fear of the city losing funding from Title I, a program designed to support schools with high percentages of low-income students.

Collin Snyder | Staff Photographer

“They don’t represent us. They’re harming Central New York. They’re harming the country.” Participating in the nationwide “Hands Off!” movement, community members rallied against Trump’s administration and policies Saturday in downtown Syracuse.

“The Syracuse City School District really depends on resources from the federal government and Title I funding. And we don’t want to see that go away,” Bartolotta said. “Our students deserve more and we can’t see them get less.”

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the shutdown will not impact Title I, as the program is considered a “core necessity” and will still operate with the remaining workers of the DOEd.

Another key issue motivating many protestors was the Trump administration’s immigration policies. While the White House has touted historically low border crossings, protesters Barbara Slater and her friend, Josephine, believe the aggressive crackdown has come at the cost of humanity.

“We’re mothers and grandmothers,” Slater said. “We still have power. We won’t be silenced.”

While millions took to the streets nationally, Toledo said many more have lived in constant fear since Trump returned to the White House. He called on others to take part in future protests to support those who can’t.

“It’s a hard time to feel confident speaking out,” Toledo said. “And for those of us that can and that are here, we want to be the voice for them.”

DISCLAIMER: Tyler Toledo formerly worked as an assistant video editor at The Daily Orange. He did not influence the editorial content of this article.

Published on April 6, 2025 at 10:11 pm