By Charles Warren | Freelance Contributor
This past Saturday, 12,000 people turned out to march the streets of downtown San Diego for what organizers called the “Hands Off!” day of action. The demonstration was part of a huge national movement, with nearly 1,000 events taking place across the country, pushing back against what many see as a growing threat from right-wing billionaires and political leaders like Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
“I know very deeply what it means to fight to get what you want. But more importantly, to fight to keep what we have. And what we are here for today is to fight to keep what we have,” said Crystal Irving, President of SEIU 221.
At noon, a crowd gathered at the San Diego Civic Center Plaza on Third Avenue before heading out on a one-mile march through the heart of the city. Protesters carried signs that read things like “Save Our Democracy,” “Protect Workers,” and “Hands Off My Rights.” They came to speak out on various issues: civil rights, worker protections, public services, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental concerns, and more.
According to SDPD, it was one of the largest rallies in the city so far this year. The San Diego protest was also one of 115 held across California and one of thousands held throughout the country. It brought together over two dozen local groups — including Indivisible North San Diego County, San Diego Families for Justice, Women’s March San Diego, and others — all uniting around shared frustrations and a desire for change.
But while the turnout was strong and the energy was high, there was also something noticeably absent — Black representation.
For a protest focused on fighting back against policies that impact marginalized people the most, it was hard not to notice who wasn’t there. And that got people talking, both at the event and online.
In the days before the protest, some Black voices on social media made it clear they didn’t plan to attend. Posts using phrases like “Stay your butt at home” and “We’ve marched long enough” reflected a growing feeling that some in the Black community are tired of showing up for protests that don’t always show up for them in return.
“The truth is, people are tired of DEI being used as window dressing,” said Lawson, a community member from Southeastern San Diego. “We’re always told we’re part of the movement, but rarely are we actually centered in the planning, leadership, or messaging. Trump and now people like Elon Musk are pushing back against DEI hard — and we’re the first ones to pay the price.”
The DEI rollback was one of the key topics at the protest. Lately, people like Trump and Musk have been criticizing DEI, blaming it for problems they say are caused by “identity politics.” But many protesters say that’s just an excuse to go after communities that have already been left out for too long.
Marcus Greene, one of the few Black attendees at the rally, pointed to deeper frustrations.
“You can’t ask people to show up when they feel the same systems being protested are still excluding them,” he said. “DEI isn’t just being scaled back — it’s being used as a scapegoat for white grievance. Meanwhile, people wonder why our turnout is low.”
Some who did show up said the lack of Black participation didn’t go unnoticed.
“I marched for Black Lives Matter, not because I had to, but because it was right,” said Brian, a protester from North Park. “Seeing so few Black folks here today… that hurt. This isn’t a white issue — it’s [an] all of [us] issue. When DEI is attacked, when education and jobs are on the chopping block, when our rights are threatened — that affects everyone, not just one group.”
The “Hands Off!” protests also raised alarms about the Project 2025 policy agenda— a far-right plan that calls for expanding presidential powers and using the military or National Guard to crack down on protests and unrest. Activists warned that this kind of policy would likely be used most aggressively against Black and brown communities.
That warning hits especially hard when thinking back to 2020, when then-President Trump called for National Guard troops to dominate protests in cities with large Black populations. Groups like the ACLU have reported that Trump has specifically targeted cities with more immigrants and people of color for possible military action.
The history of using military and law enforcement against Black protesters adds another layer to the discussion about why some folks didn’t come out on Saturday. Concerns about being profiled, arrested, or even hurt just for showing up are still very real.
By the end of the day, there was no denying that the protest had made a statement. But it also left some open questions. If a protest is about protecting people’s rights, but some of those people don’t feel safe or included, is the message really getting through?
