Thousands gathered in downtown Providence on April 5, joining the Hands Off! protest, a coordinated day of demonstrations held across all 50 states in response to early policy actions under the new Trump administration.
Community members gathered at Hope High School before marching to the Federal Building at Kennedy Plaza, where the local rally unfolded. The event was organized by advocacy groups such as Indivisible Rhode Island. IndivisibleRI, which estimated the crowd at 20,000, called the event “a success in turning out a wide swath of society in Rhode Island,” the group wrote in an email to The Providence Eye.
“Right here at home in RI, people are being affected every single day…” the group added, pointing to “the 40% of food insecure Rhode Islanders and the one in three who benefit from Medicaid.”
Organizers also cited concerns over federal actions, such as mass deportations, research funding rollbacks, and federal workforce cuts, according to the promotional posters. In Providence, participants shared what brought them into the streets—and how proposed and recently implemented policies impact their lives. Here’s what they told us.
Why I March: Gender-affirming care
On January 28, President Trump issued the executive order “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” seeking to prohibit federal funding for gender-affirming care for individuals under 19. The order was blocked on February 13 in a Maryland federal district court.
Even so, concerns over access to such treatments drew marchers such as Eddie to the protest this weekend. The 22-year-old Rhode Island resident, who recently started testosterone and planned to receive top surgery in 2025, said this care might not be an option for them anymore.
“When I was in my appointment with my surgeon, he said, ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen and we don’t know the longevity of the programs that we have in place,’” Eddie said. “It’s been absolutely life changing to have access to trans healthcare, and the idea of it being taken away… That’s really sad.”
Protesters in support of access to gender-affirming care said the federal cuts are felt far beyond consultation rooms. Last month, National Institutes of Health staff were instructed to “identify and potentially cancel” grants for a range of research projects, including those focused on transgender populations and gender identity, according to an exclusive report in Nature.
“I did my first shot of testosterone the day that Trump was elected,” Eddie added. “It was really hard [to hear about the cuts]. My therapist and I cried in [the] office together.”
Why I March: Title X
Sarah Mead, a midwife and owner of the private practice Mead Midwifery, came to the Federal Building on Saturday in response to the administration’s withholding of Title X funding from select care-providing organizations. Title X is a federal program established in 1970 that provides funding for family planning and reproductive health services.
The freeze is affecting payments to a total of 16 Title X providers, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon to POLITICO last month. Planned Parenthood, one of the largest recipients of Title X funding, stated in a March 31 press release that funding would be withheld from nine of its state affiliates effective April 1.
“I’m here because I want people to have access to care and be healthy,” said Mead. “It’s this well-body care that we need to have funding for and protect.”
According to Mead, the freeze has also already limited the impact of services that midwives provide even beyond pregnancy care, such as STI testing and cervical cancer screenings. Her colleagues outside of Rhode Island who work with uninsured populations are “not able to access the community” with these services, Mead said.
“This is important because Title X is life-saving access to preventative care,” she added. “Those funds are getting taken away.”
Why I March: Medicare and Social Security
On February 28, the Social Security Administration announced it would cut its workforce from 57,000 to a target of 50,000, as part of the Trump administration’s larger effort to decrease the size of the federal government.
The administration said in a statement, and has repeatedly clarified it “will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits.”
Protestors such as Middletown resident Edna Clifford expressed doubt that such workforce cuts would not impact the Social Security entitlements that support over 73 million Americans, like herself.
“I live on Medicare and Social Security and I think it’s only a matter of time,” she said. “Cuts would affect my rent, my ability to pay my rent, my ability to live my life, and to pay my bills.
I paid into it for 50, 60, years, and it’s not a handout, it’s what I’ve earned.”
Why I March: Climate Change and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The Trump administration has moved to sharply curtail U.S. foreign aid, pausing all USAID assistance for 90 days under a January 20 order. The administration also plans to cut 90% of USAID’s overseas aid contracts, according to an internal memo obtained by AP News, and February lawsuits brought against the order by advocacy groups.
The agency disbursed $80 billion in 2023 for humanitarian aid programs abroad, such as vaccination campaigns, HIV/AIDS prevention, and climate resilience initiatives. Alongside the almost-complete budget reduction, the Trump administration announced last month its intent to reduce the workforce to 15 positions, according to an analysis by the New York Times.
“A large number of my coworkers were supported by USAID. More than half of my team… we’re Rhode Island residents, but we’re doing work abroad… they all lost their jobs,” said Casey, a RI government employee working in coastal management.
Casey said the administration’s freezing of university and federal climate research grants will also directly affect her job and the communities she serves.
“We help state and smaller municipalities plan for if there’s a big storm: what could be in danger, what power sources you’re going to lose, or what data you will need based on how big of a storm there is,” she said.
The Ocean State of Rhode Island boasts over 400 miles of coastline.
“Sea level is really rising, and there will be changes to our coast that we should be able to plan for and know about,” Casey added.
“No one’s gonna be safe if we don’t have the ability to keep track of that data.”
Why I March: Veteran care
Bruce Charron, a Marine Corps veteran who served from 1968 to 1970, came from Warwick to march in Providence, moved by a “sense of betrayal” he said he feels as a veteran.
“I know [Trump] doesn’t really care about the veterans,” Charron said, referencing the president’s absence at a recent military funeral and the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack led largely by his supporters.
“One of the things that he is also trying to do is take away our benefits,” Charron added. “He doesn’t realize that if we don’t take care of our veterans, we’re not going to have people going into the military to protect our country.”
Veterans Affairs secretary Doug Collins has addressed such concerns over benefits cuts, saying, “I’m telling you right now, that’s not happening… the reality is, veterans benefits aren’t getting cut.”
The planned elimination of over 80,000 jobs at the Veterans Administration—along with major restructuring and contract cancellations under the Department of Government Efficiency’s downsizing initiative—has left veterans like Charron uncertain about the VA’s ability to support them.
“I go to the vet center and have a representative that helps me with post-traumatic stress,” Carron said. “To have this feeling that programs might be affected… it doesn’t sit well with me. I have to talk to a counselor and to other people when I’m feeling that way.”
Why I March: Free speech and deportation
First Amendment rights and immigration concerns brought Rosana, a Brazilian immigrant and art teacher from Bristol, to the rally.
“It’s freedom of speech,” she said. “Even immigrants from Canada are at risk to be deported. These students… you know? If someone is a criminal they should be deported, but this is not what’s happening.”
Since the inauguration, the State Department has revoked approximately 300 visas, primarily targeting international students alleged to have participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified last month. Critics argue that these measures violate First Amendment protections of free speech, which also apply to student visa holders.
Editor’s Note: In March, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a doctor at Brown Medicine and Rhode Island Hospital with a valid work visa, was detained and deported after returning to the US from Lebanon, where she holds citizenship. The Brown Daily Herald reported “The deportation came after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found ‘sympathetic photos and videos’ of Hezbollah figures on Alawieh’s cell phone, according to the Department of Justice.”
Back at the protest, Rosana adds, “I’m okay because I am a citizen, but I am sad for other people who are here. The great majority of immigrants are hard workers, they respect the law, they pay taxes and contribute to the culture. Now they have to live even more in fear of being deported.”
A sense of solidarity
For Mead, the protest was just one way to make local voices heard.
“Call your representatives,” she said. “It’s really easy… It gets less intimidating the more you do it. Those people work for you. They work for us.”
Though their reasons for marching varied, many protesters who marched with Mead expressed the belief that the stakes were personal—and that silence was “no longer an option.”
“It just bothers me so much what’s happening and how we are affected,” said Charron.
“We need to protest and we need to rally to send the message that our people who we voted in, our people that represent us, need to step up.”
Maya Davis is a senior at Brown University studying Biology and Security Studies. Originally from Brooklyn, NYC, she is a D1 gymnast and a journalist with a passion for international reporting and investigative storytelling. She has reported for CNN, CNN Español, CNN International, WebMD Health News, and Medscape Medical News. Her coverage spans breaking news, global health, politics, and sports.
Currently, Maya serves as a staff writer and data desk reporter at The Brown Daily Herald and volunteers as a local reporter at The Providence Eye.
