WE START WITH THIS STORY TONIGHT. PROTESTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE JOINING THE HANDS OFF MOVEMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND ELON MUSK. REPORTER ALYSSA MUNOZ WAS AT TODAY’S PROTEST IN ALBUQUERQUE CIVIC PLAZA. WELL, SASHA, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CAME OUT TODAY FILLING THE PLAZA AND THEIR MAIN MESSAGE. SAVING THEIR DEMOCRACY. YOU STAY OFF. PEOPLE STANDING THEIR GROUND IN DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE HOLDING SIGNS IN PROTEST OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S RECENT DECISIONS AND THE HELP HE’S GOTTEN FROM ELON MUSK. ONE PROTESTER SAYS THE ACTIONS ARE HURTING WORKING PEOPLE. I THINK YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ELON MUSK WHO ARE CLAIMING TO FIGHT FRAUD AND ABUSE, BUT THEY’RE ACTUALLY THE FRAUDSTERS AND ABUSERS. THEY’RE TAKING THE US TAXPAYERS DOLLARS AND THEY’RE USING THEM FOR FOR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO USE THEM FOR. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF NEW MEXICO SAYS SHE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD BE AGAINST TAX CUTS. TAX CUTS. HONESTLY BENEFIT THE MIDDLE CLASS. THAT’S ALWAYS THE TARGET. NOBODY WANTS TO PAY MORE TAXES. THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT BILLIONAIRES TAKING OVER. THERE’S BILLIONAIRES ARE GOING TO EXIST AND HAVE EXISTED FOR YEARS. SO THERE’S NOTHING NEW THIS YEAR THAT HASN’T BEEN GOING ON FOR FOR YEARS. THE LEAD ORGANIZER OF THE RALLY SAYS THERE ARE MANY THINGS SHE DOESN’T AGREE WITH HAPPENING. DISMANTLING OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, THE ARRESTING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ON THE STREET, DISAPPEARING PEOPLE ON THE STREET. I THINK THAT NO MATTER WHO THE PRESIDENT IS IN THE ADMINISTRATION, THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE PROTESTS. THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE ANOTHER SIDE THAT DOESN’T AGREE WITH HOW THE COUNTRY MAY BE BEING RUN, ETCETERA. NOW, THERE ARE ALSO MANY SPEAKERS AT THIS PROTEST, INCLUDING MAYOR TIM KELLER, ATTORNEY GENERAL RAUL TORREZ AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIS
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Protestors join 'Hands Off!' movement in Albuquerque
Alyssa Munoz
Reporter
Protestors across the country joined the "Hands Off!" movement against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. A rally was held in Albuquerque at Civic Plaza Saturday afternoon where a massive amount of people came out. The main message of the movement is to save democracy. "I think people have been fed up for quite a while about what the current administration is doing. I think that they've been trying to figure out how to organize around it," said Matt Smuts, a protestor. "I think you have people like Elon Musk who are claiming to fight fraud and abuse, but they're actually the fraudsters and abusers. They're taking the U.S. taxpayers' dollars, and they're using them for whatever they want to use them for. They're basically trying to enrich themselves and at the same time taking money out of our pockets, out of programs that support everyday people, working people." Leticia Munoz, the executive director of the Republican Party of New Mexico said she doesn't understand why anyone would be against tax cuts. "Tax cuts honestly benefit the middle class; that's always the target. Nobody wants to pay more taxes. This whole thing about billionaires taking over, billionaires are going to exist and have been for many years. There's nothing new this year that hasn't been going on for years," Munoz said. Rayeleen Smith, the president of Indivisible Albuquerque and the lead organizer of this protest said there are many things she doesn't agree with happening. "Dismantling of the Social Security Administration, the arresting of innocent people on the street, disappearing people on the street. The complete illegality, ignoring the courts, all of that. All of that is illegal. All of that has got to stop," Smith said. "I think that no matter who the president is in the administration, there's always going to be protests. There's always going to be another side that doesn't agree with how the country may be run, etc.," Munoz said. Some of the speakers at the protest included Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, Attorney General Raul Torrez and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. Protests also happened in Portales and Santa Fe.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Protestors across the country joined the "Hands Off!" movement against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
A rally was held in Albuquerque at Civic Plaza Saturday afternoon where a massive amount of people came out. The main message of the movement is to save democracy.
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"I think people have been fed up for quite a while about what the current administration is doing. I think that they've been trying to figure out how to organize around it," said Matt Smuts, a protestor. "I think you have people like Elon Musk who are claiming to fight fraud and abuse, but they're actually the fraudsters and abusers. They're taking the U.S. taxpayers' dollars, and they're using them for whatever they want to use them for. They're basically trying to enrich themselves and at the same time taking money out of our pockets, out of programs that support everyday people, working people."
Leticia Munoz, the executive director of the Republican Party of New Mexico said she doesn't understand why anyone would be against tax cuts.
"Tax cuts honestly benefit the middle class; that's always the target. Nobody wants to pay more taxes. This whole thing about billionaires taking over, billionaires are going to exist and have been for many years. There's nothing new this year that hasn't been going on for years," Munoz said.
Rayeleen Smith, the president of Indivisible Albuquerque and the lead organizer of this protest said there are many things she doesn't agree with happening.
"Dismantling of the Social Security Administration, the arresting of innocent people on the street, disappearing people on the street. The complete illegality, ignoring the courts, all of that. All of that is illegal. All of that has got to stop," Smith said.
"I think that no matter who the president is in the administration, there's always going to be protests. There's always going to be another side that doesn't agree with how the country may be run, etc.," Munoz said.
Some of the speakers at the protest included Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, Attorney General Raul Torrez and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. Protests also happened in Portales and Santa Fe.
