Wichita streets lined with protesters for nationwide 'Hands Off' movement

Yahoo

06-04-2025

WICHITA, Kan (KSNW) — The Historic Courthouse in downtown Wichita was lined with protesters Saturday afternoon. Over 1,400 protests across the country are taking place in every U.S. state, with some popping up overseas. The nationwide 'Hands Off' movement is organized by pro-democracy advocates in response to what they call an attack on American rights and freedoms.
The local protest was spearheaded by non-profit, nonpartisan group 'Leading Kansas.' They say over 1,700 people signed up to attend and the number is hard to deny. Both sides of the street from City Hall to the Robert D. Love Downtown YMCA were flooded with people from both sides of the aisle.
'There was a big group of us that just decided it's time to put people over party,' Leading Kansas Cofounder Katy Tyndell said.
She says she hopes to use the nationwide protests as a platform to reach state leaders.
'There are a lot of frustrated people because it seems like our elected representatives are not actually representing us,' Tyndell said.
For those in the crowd, most are spurred by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's cuts to federal jobs and programs. Pam Schmidt grew up in Kansas before recently moving to Colorado. Back in town visiting family, they all attended the protest.
'They're messing with education, they're messing with my mom's social security and Medicare, they're messing with our veterans,' Schmidt said.
Medicare and Social Security are both programs being eyed by the recent rounds of federal cuts, with Elon Musk calling the programs 'entitlements.'
'Those are not entitlements. That's money we have paid in our whole lives,' Schmidt said.
Also on the chopping block: thousands of Veterans Affairs jobs.
'If it's not broken why fix it?' Protester and retired Coast Guard veteran, Caroll Reimer said. 'That's why everyone is out here. Because of the hypocrisy of the federal government that wants to take away so many things that we have had and we fought for.'
Most recently, the topic dominating the political conversation is tariffs. Roger Marshall defended the new tariffs in a Facebook video urging Kansas farmers to 'hang in there.'
Wichita State students planning on going into the aerospace industry are concerned how President Trump's cuts and 'reciprocal tariffs' could impact their job prospects.
'I know a bunch of people who were going to get contracting jobs through the federal government and as soon as the hiring freeze went through? Done. No summer jobs, no career advancement,' WSU Young Democrat Michael Powell said.
The main purpose of their demonstration Saturday, organizers say, is to get explanations from Kansas's federal delegation as they defend the cuts and recent tariffs.
'We can disagree on individual policies, but when it comes to standing up for people in our communities, we're going to be here,' organizer Katy Tyndell said.
She says they have reached out to state leaders but feel like they don't listen to their concerns. Her aim is that they take note of their presence and start to hold more town halls to hear their citizens' concerns directly.
KSN reached out to the offices of senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran as well as congressmen Ron Estes and Tracey Mann for comment but haven't heard back.
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