Tens of thousands of Atlantans converged on Piedmont Park last Saturday and marched down Peachtree Street to the state Capitol to decry President Donald Trump and billionaire DOGE chief Elon Musk’s attacks on the federal government.
Well over 20,000 protestors, according to organizers’ estimates, represented a kaleidoscope of progressive political interests. Spearheaded nationally by Indivisible, the broad Atlanta coalition included LGBTQ+ activists, labor unions, pro-Palestine activists, Democrats, the DSA, 50501, MoveOn, and faith organizations — groups that might not always agree, but mobilized together to call for “hands off our democracy.”
“The one thing we can agree on is that America and our democracy is special — and we deserve to save it by standing up and doing what the founders told us to do, which is to demand redress and [for government] to be accountable to the people,” said Kimberly Krautter, an Atlanta organizer for Indivisible, which formed in 2016 after Trump’s first election as president. Over 1,300 Hands Off! protests materialized nationwide for the April 5 day of action.
Atlanta Civic Circle spoke to concerned Atlantans ranging from veteran activists to first-time demonstrators, including federal workers who fear for their jobs. Juan, a 61-year-old IRS worker and member of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), said it was his first protest, ever. He asked to be identified by his first name only for fear of retaliation.
“Every day I’m going to the office now, I’m stressed, my supervisors are stressed — I’m near retirement and I don’t want to get fired after so many years of dedication,” he said. “I’m angry, for the first time in my life.”
Vince, 55, a veteran 22-year health scientist for the Centers for Disease Control also asked to be identified by his first name only for fear of “being fired for my speech.” He came to the protest with members of his church, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.
“Public service is under attack, and the value of it is not even understood — nobody gets into it to get rich,” he said.
Retired Doraville librarian Susan Fraysse, 73, said her first protest was a Pride rally in 1973, and she’s been turning out ever since. Her message to disaffected young people: “Get involved – engage in empathy, not apathy.”
Retired Librarian Susan Fraysse poses for a picture with her signs. Credit: Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon 
Susie Julius, a retired flight attendant, came from Roswell to demonstrate. Credit: Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon 
Two young women lead protest chants. Credit: Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon 
Atlanta artist Jessica Blinkhorn engages in performance art at the rally. Credit: Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
Susie Julius, 66, said progressive politicians need to shake up their strategy.
“Democrats need to get a little tougher, play the long game better,” said the retired Roswell flight attendant, echoing a shared frustration by the Hands Off! protesters with Democrats in Congress.
The protest ended peacefully with a packed rally at Liberty Plaza behind the state Capitol. Activist leaders and several local Democratic politicians delivered fiery speeches to the overflow crowd. “Trump’s still got a court date in Fulton County,” said attorney Gerald Griggs, who heads the Georgia NAACP.
State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez (D-Smyrna) called on people not to fear organizing against “unelected Nazi Musk and elected Nazi Trump.”
“I’ve heard that there’s a lot of fear out there. But what I see today is not fear,” said Sanchez, the first Democratic Socialist elected to the Georgia legislature. “We’re here to organize. We’re here to fight. We’re here in solidarity together as working-class people to take back our government.”
Why not print arial photos of Atlanta’s protesters like other cities?