Hands Off! Mass Mobilization Rally Saturday In Westport May Draw Hundreds
The Westport location of the nationwide Hands Off! movement will take place on Saturday, April 5th at 11:30 AM on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge in downtown Westport, where rallies have been held for several weeks now to protest recent actions by Trump and Musk which many feel are out of control, from mass layoffs of government workers to program killing cuts to programs ranging from health services to the arts.
Above right, State Senator Ceci Maher who represents Westport and surrounding towns standing (left) with former State Senator Will Haskell at a recent rally on the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen bridge. Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
National news outlets have reported that up to 1,000 rallies will be held from small towns to major cites like NYC and Washington. Registrations have been ongoing for a few weeks on sites like Mobilize.US HandsOff where additional information can be found.
Local activist Bean Corcoran, who has organized rallies at the bridge recently told WestportLocalPress there have been more than 850 registered to attend and she has raised the capacity to 1,000, but possible rain may curb attendance, although the day will be mild with temps nearing 50º.
State Senator Ceci Maher issued a press release yesterday on cancellation of grants to CT organizations including one to the Weston Historical Society. Maher's office said, " Today, State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton) issued the following statement in response to the cancellation of a $25,000 federal grant committed to the Weston Historical Society in December by Elon Musk's DOGE this week, part of a larger $3 million cancellation of grants awarded and then rescinded across Connecticut by that body", adding, "The $25,000 was meant to support "Weston at Work," a permanent exhibit in town that would focus on Weston's industrial history and marginalized groups in its history."
It seems no dollar figure is too small to escape DOGE cuts, which have been widely criticized and have prompted a nationwide backlash.
A comprehensive report on these activities appears on Spectrum News 1.