Thousands of San Luis Obispo County residents are expected to join hands around the courthouse Saturday in a symbolic gesture to the current presidential administration: “Hands off our courts!”

The “Hands Off!” rally is part of a national movement where more than 600 cities will hold demonstrations to protest President Donald Trump’s policies and the influence of billionaires like Elon Musk on those policies.

“This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history,” the national website for the protest said. “They want to strip America for parts — shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid — all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.”

Specifically, the San Luis Obispo protest is in response to “growing threats against judicial independence,” a news release from event organizers said.

Joining hands “will visually demonstrate citizens’ determination to protect democratic institutions,” the release said.

The release claimed the courts have faced unprecedented challenges, including the Trump Administration suggesting federal court rulings are optional, intensified political pressure on judges and court decisions that undermine court rulings that protect vulnerable communities.

The “fundamental concept of judicial review is being questioned,” the release said, adding, “we are on the precipice of a Constitutional crisis.”

Recent statements and actions from Trump and his allies suggesting they may defy “unfavorable court decisions” raised alarms about threats to judicial independence and the constitutional separation of powers, the release said.

“When a president declares court rulings ‘optional,’ our entire system of checks and balances is threatened,” event organizer Marcia Alter said in the release. “We’re forming this human shield to demonstrate that the American people stand firmly with our courts and the rule of law.”

The protest will feature speakers including Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, Planned Parenthood Central Coast public affairs manager Mariam Shah, GALA board president Julia Thompson, San Luis Obispo Democratic Party chair Tom Fulks, San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson and biologist Ben Vizzachero, who was fired by the Department of Government Efficiency.

The event will take place Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo Superior Court, 1050 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo Police Department confirmed Monterey Street will be closed from Osos to Santa Rosa streets.

It was organized by Indivisible San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party and 50501, the national organization leading the “Hands Off!” movement.

Event organizers expect 3,000 to 5,000 people to join in the demonstration.

Another “Hands Off!” rally will be held in Cambria on the same day and time at the corner of Cambria Drive and Main Street.

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM.