Across the country on April 5, an estimated 3 million people took to the streets in more than 1,200 cities as part of the “Hands Off!” movement, protesting President Donald Trump’s and billionaire Elon Musk’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration, and human rights.
Newman’s Rachel Healy Bell chose to go it alone.
Bell opted not to attend the closest “Hands Off!” rally in Modesto, partially out of logistics, but also because she wanted to be a presence on the Westside, so she got her sign and staged her one-woman protest near the Arco gas station on N Street in Newman.
“I know great people live here,” Bell said. “People who also believe in the Constitution and wan to support it.”
Bell, declined to say if she falls into one political party or another, instead describing her political views as falling “on the side of the Constitution and the law, not on the side of one person.”
One issue that has not set well with Bell ae the cuts that have happened at the Veterans Administration.
“My husband, brother, mom and dad, six uncles and three aunts are all veterans,” Bell said. “They sacrificed for this country, the least we can do is honor that service. I do believe we need to cut any waste but not by burning the whole thing down.”
Bell said that overall, the reactions she got to her protest were positive.
“a couple stopped to speak to me and ask questions,” Bell said. “I got people honking and giving thumbs up.”
The Modesto “Hands Off!” rally began at Five Points (Needham Street and McHenry Avenue) and saw an estimated 700 protestors march to the 10th Street Plaza at 10th and L Streets.
“It was so inspiring to see so many people come out,” said Darleen Patrick, a group coordinator for Indivisible Stanislaus and a member of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee. “I think what helped make it so successful is that we had members of Indivisible, MoveOn, Swing Left, and the ACLU helping to plan this. Organizations with a common goal, leveraging the power of each other.”
Another “Hands Off!” event is planned for April 19, organized by the 50501 group. However, there are currently no plans for a local rally. The next local event will be a “Stop the Cuts” rally on May 1.
“We’re not sure where it will be,” said Patrick. “We’re still in the planning stages right now.”
Reporter Joe Cortez contributed to this story.
