r/FreeLuigi • u/Pulguinuni • 3h ago
News Huge NYC Turn Out for The Hands Off! Protests Nationwide.
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https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-protests-hands-off-472c574303260cbac315367cc808960d
“Opponents of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk rallied across the U.S. on Saturday to protest the administration’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.
More than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations were planned by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The protest sites included the National Mall in Washington, D.C., state capitols and other locations in all 50 states.”
Why is this important for LMs case?
Because it is an obvious government overcharge and overreach.
Why is this different than just only protesting for LMs freedom and justice?
When advocating for political prisoners, there is an understandable impulse to center their name and story, to personalize the injustice and demand their immediate release. However, while this approach may feel morally urgent, it carries significant strategic risks. By focusing narrowly on an individual, movements inadvertently provide authorities with a clear target for retaliation. Governments often exploit such cases to discredit broader dissent, painting activists as fringe supporters of a single "criminal" rather than challengers of systemic abuse.
The approach of protesting around the structural overreach that enabled the over charge in the first place, whether that’s unchecked surveillance, judicial corruption, or the criminalization of dissent. Systemic critiques resonate across ideological lines. Those hesitant to defend a specific prisoner may still oppose government corruption or eroded civil liberties, expanding the reach.
In NYC, these are all potential jurors protesting the bigger picture and obvious government overreach on all aspects of the population.
Video is from r/nyc