By Jeff Thomas | Blacksourcemedia.com
They thought we’d stay quiet. That we’d grumble at grocery store lines, gripe about gas prices, and swallow the pain of higher bills caused by Trump’s reckless tariffs. But on Saturday, Americans said no more—and they said it together.
From New Orleans to Newark, from Oakland to Omaha, thousands took to the streets in one of the largest coordinated protests of Trump’s economic policies since his time in office began. The message? “Hands Off Our Livelihoods, Hands Off Our Democracy.”
A Nationwide Day of Protest
There have been other demonstrations before—marches for voting rights, climate, healthcare—but Saturday’s action was different. For the first time, people across America stood together to push back against Trump’s new round of tariffs, which many now call the Trump tariff taxes.
More than 150 cities hosted coordinated “Hands Off” protests. In Chicago, 5,000 filled the streets. In Phoenix, immigrant business owners linked arms with local truckers. And in Brooklyn, bodegas and barbershops closed early so staff could join the movement.
This wasn’t a moment. It was a message. Americans of every background are waking up to the real cost of Trump’s economic agenda—and they’re not waiting for things to get worse before they speak out.
Lafayette Square: New Orleans Joins the Fight
In New Orleans, over 3,000 people filled Lafayette Square, showing the Crescent City has no intention of staying silent. Students, musicians, elders, pastors, and workers stood shoulder to shoulder, waving signs and chanting. The square pulsed with energy, urgency, and pride.
Congressman Troy A. Carter, who represents Louisiana’s Second Congressional District, joined the crowd in person—not just with a press release, but with his voice.
“I was honored to stand among so many engaged, courageous citizens and to lend my voice to this powerful call for justice and accountability,” he said.
Like a typical spring Saturday, New Orleanians had many other things to do. But the people showed up. They were packed in deep, from the stage at the square to the edges of St. Charles Avenue. And they left more inspired and ready to push back against these painful new taxes.
The Trump Tariff Taxes Are Just That—Taxes
The biggest thing people have realized? These tariffs aren’t being paid by China, Mexico, or India. They’re being paid by us.
Trump calls them tariffs. Regular folks now call them what they really are: Trump tariff taxes.
They’re import taxes. So when the U.S. puts a tariff on something, that means American businesses importing those goods now have to pay more. And those businesses? They’re not going to just eat that cost. They pass it along. The prices go up—for everything from clothing to food to electronics.
That’s what Saturday’s protest was all about. People already see the tariffs coming and know they’ll hit fast. Hard. And wide.
Even small businesses are already bracing. For example, a huge portion of human hair used for wigs and extensions in the U.S. is imported from India, which is now subject to a 26% tariff under Trump’s new trade plan. India supplies about 40% of the world’s human hair exports, much of which is used in hairstyling for Black women.
What does that mean in real life? It means the hair used by stylists will cost more. Salons will raise their prices. And the customers—many of them women just trying to look and feel their best—will be stuck paying the difference.
So something as normal as getting your hair done could now cost more, all because of these new Trump tariff taxes.
Why People Aren’t Waiting
Some critics say these protests are premature—that the effects haven’t hit yet. But waiting until groceries go up another 15% or until more small shops close their doors would be too late.
The people protesting now are trying to stop the worst before it happens. They see what’s coming: higher costs, fewer choices, and more pressure on working families. That’s why Saturday’s protests were filled with urgency.
From the Bronx to Baton Rouge, folks are realizing that Trump’s tariffs aren’t some distant policy—they’re personal.
Movement, Not Just a Moment
The “Hands Off” protests weren’t just one-day affairs. Organizers are already preparing follow-up actions. Monthly demonstrations. Public forums. Voter drives. Small business town halls. Congressional petition campaigns. The fire is lit.
Polls in Wisconsin and Arizona now show independent voters increasingly disapprove of Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs. Even some Republicans are growing quiet, avoiding public support for a policy that could hurt their own constituents back home.
In New Orleans, the coalition that led the Lafayette Square rally is planning a May action focused specifically on the rising costs of building materials—another sector heavily affected by Trump’s trade war.
Related: Musk, Tesla and Trump Targeted in Previous Protests
Congressman Troy Carter Stood Up—Others Must Follow
Congressman Carter showed real leadership by being in Lafayette Square. He didn’t hedge, and he didn’t phone it in. He stood among the people and gave them his voice.
Too often, elected officials wait to see where the wind blows. Carter saw where the people were standing and met them there. That matters—especially in a moment when economic justice and democracy are under simultaneous attack.
His presence sent a clear signal: this fight is real, and Washington needs to pay attention.
Small Cities, Big Voices
Let’s also be clear about something else. This wasn’t just a New York, L.A., D.C. affair. Cities like New Orleans—too often overlooked by national media—helped power this movement. The Lafayette Square turnout was one of the largest in the country. And the message from smaller cities rang just as loud.
These aren’t “secondary markets.” These are the frontlines. Because in places like New Orleans, people feel the price of a bag of rice going up. They know what a $5 increase in utility bills can do. And they’re not waiting on Wall Street or the White House to care.
They’re stepping up. Speaking out. And fighting back.
Final Thoughts: This Is Just the Beginning
Donald Trump’s tariffs aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re real-world taxes on real people. From small businesses to single moms, from college students to corner store owners, everyone will feel the squeeze.
Saturday’s nationwide protests marked a turning point. People now understand these Trump tariff taxes for what they are—and they’re not having it.
This isn’t the end. It’s just the start. And whether it’s in Lafayette Square or on the steps of Congress, the movement is growing.
Hands off our jobs. Hands off our groceries. Oh Yea and hands off our democracy.
We’re wide awake now. And we won’t be quiet.