St. Augustine’s Catholic Church Joins the ‘Hands Off’ Movement Against Trump-Era Setbacks

Despite a divisive time for the nation and world, a historic day of action encouraged thousands of activists to take to the streets for the nationwide “Hands Off” protest, unifying people across cities in America.

As the rallies offered a moment for all people to speak out against the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, history and human rights, many faith leaders, churchgoers and alike used the day of protests to reaffirm their responsibilities to offer a call to action: reject injustice, seek truth and help those in need. 

“This is an outright battle for civilization, and the truth is, they are scared of your power to come together, and they are betting that we will be afraid of them, but this is the time that we must increase, intensify and embolden our agitation for what is right,” said activist Bishop William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, in his address to the crowd.

The Hands Off protest marked the largest day of organized action since President Donald Trump’s January inauguration, with rallies taking place in 1,300 different locations throughout the U.S. In a unifying action, millions took to the streets Saturday with the same demand: that government officials prioritize the fundamentals of democracy rather than capitalist interests.

“We must declare that the only way a wannabe king can be king is if we bow down,” Barber continued, “but bowing down is not an option.”

Many marchers took to the streets to protest the thousands of federal workers and their families who have been negatively affected since Trump assumed office on Jan. 20 between federal cuts and executive orders.

The second Trump administration launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), motivated by a desire to reduce federal spending. Through this initiative and presidential executive orders, thousands of federal workers have been laid off from their positions; numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs have been dismantled; and plans of shutting down the Department of Education are currently in the works.

Near the foot of the Washington Monument, thousands of protestors waved signs denouncing the Trump administration’s actions. Featuring slogans calling for the support of federal workers, urging people to “deport hate” and save democracy, attendees used their words — whether spoken or written — to display their grievances with the president. 

Father and son Leslie and Jasen Sowers were part of the crowd on the National Mall, each carrying signs that towered over their heads displaying phrases that encouraged onlookers to stand up to the government, fight for their rights and assemble to impeach Trump. 

The father expressed his disdain for the current administration and his desire for immediate change. 

“I think it’s time that people stand up,” he told The Informer. “In less than 90 days, he has completely destroyed our government and economic system.” 

Agreeing with his father, the younger Sowers acknowledged that the systems in place are not just and emphasized that political leaders should be held accountable. 

“In order for the system to be fair, you have to play a part for your people that are instilling you in these seats,” the son, 39, said. “You need to help the people, and if you’re not going to help [them], then you need to be removed.” 

Local Catholics Emphasize Commitment to Justice 

Since Trump’s inauguration, faith leaders across denominations, including Barber, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Pastor Jamal Bryant and the Rt. Rev Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, have been using their platforms to combat racism, hatred and injustices. 

However, lay leaders and everyday churchgoers alike are also speaking out, and Saturday many Christians joined the protest to emphasize the need for positive change.

“The government really should not be imperial. It should be balanced,” said Lydia Curtis, co-chair of the Africa and the Diaspora Ministry at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Northwest D.C. “They need to back off.”

With approximately 167 years of history as the District’s first Black parish, many consider St. Augustine’s the “Mother Church of Black Catholics.” Staying true to its mission of contributing to the spiritual, social and economic advancement of all people, many St. Augustine members joined the national justice initiative on April 5.

“The American Dream isn’t just for billionaires. It’s not just for white people or Black people for that matter,” said Elissa Hackerson, chair of the Social Justice Advocacy ministry at St. Augustine’s. “It’s for all of us. Black and brown people deserve a fair shot at the American Dream.”  

St. Augustine parishioners were not the only local churchgoers to participate in Saturday’s protest. People from St. Augustine and other religious communities in the city marched from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Northwest to the National Mall. 

While at St. Patrick’s, protestors made signs disapproving of the current administration’s tactics and participated in a group prayer centered around a commitment to fighting injustice. 

“We believe that this moment demands moral clarity. We will not stand by while our neighbors are deprived of their rights,” the congregation prayed. “‘Woe to you who deprive people of their rights’— we stand together to call for justice, dignity and the protection of the most vulnerable.” 

Armed with signs advocating for climate reform, social security protections and liveable wages, the church’s community proved to be a physical manifestation of its mission toward an equitable and sustainable future. 

The Rev. Anthony Michael Bozeman, SSJ, academic dean of St. Joseph’s Seminary, participated with the St. Augustine group, using this demonstration of First Amendment Rights as a refusal to stay silent when human rights are violated. 

Bozeman told The Informer he believes members of the Catholic church are called to “build bridges, not walls.” 

He hopes the nationwide efforts will catalyze religious and political leaders to publicly disapprove of the Trump administration’s tactics and rally for change. 

“You can see that we’re in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who are suffering, which is part of the tenet of the Catholic faith,” Bozeman explained. “We have to coerce them through our protest, through our witness, through our boisterous disapproval of what’s going on in our country right now.” 

Many marchers noted that by continuously signing executive orders that threaten Black history, DEI measures and constitutional rights in the U.S., the 47th president is propelling the notion that initiatives prohibiting prejudice are dangerous to the nation. 

“They want to take us back to a time when our ancestors had no property rights, no voting rights,” Hackerson told the Informer. “That’s what they’re after. They want to erase our names from historical records, [encapsulated] in phony DEl policies.”

Bozeman said in order to combat challenges, it’s important to promote truthful narratives, particularly about Black lives and history.

“One of the things I think our country can learn, instead of trying to erase Black history, is learn from it,” Bozeman said, “and stop trying to vilify terms like ‘woke’ and ‘Black lives matter’ to show that until we show Black lives matter, for real, we can never say ‘all lives matter.’”

While Hackerson said she is disappointed by the federal efforts to reverse decades of progress toward social justice, she was proud to see such a large number of people uniting for the same cause regardless of their age, race or gender. 

“We have to be at rallies like this because we know it’s our holy calling to hold onto hope and dream for a better, beloved community for everyone,” she told The Informer. “It’s a shame that we have to be pushed 10 steps back, but I’m hoping that actions like this lead to the social transformation that we really need– rooted in moral responsibility… and in pursuit of the common good.”