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Lansing capitol ‘Hands Off’ protest
April 7th by Phil Robinson
A huge gathering estimated to be around 10,000 people peacefully assembled on the grounds of the Michigan capitol on April 5. This was accompanied by protests in numerous locales throughout the state of Michigan.
The energy of the crowd was palpable as citizens of all walks of life expressed their opposition to the radical actions being implemented by Donald Trump and his demolition bound administration. Protest signs focused on the economy, freedom of speech, education, civil rights, military veterans, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The destructive actions of the current administration and its billionaire enabler Elon Musk are slashing programs that took decades to build.
The pulse of the capitol crowd was exhilarating and inspirational and poised to unite people against the misguided and destructive Trump actions and tariffs that now threaten to plunge America into a recession.
Michiganders are reacting strongly to the economic and freedom-threatening malpractice of the Trump administration as they see their savings depreciate daily and impose widespread economic hardship.
In this short time since the presidential inauguration, the disassembly of the US government has been recklessly shredding our entire federal government into pieces. We all need to move fast to counter this emerging reality.
The protests are a call for Democrats, independents and disillusioned Republicans to unite to stop the efforts to destroy American democracy and convert our country into an autocratic state ruled by the billionaire class.
Heather Cox Richardson
April 7th, 2025
Major indexes on the stock market began down more than 3% today when, as Allison Morrow of CNN reported, a rumor that Trump was considering delaying his tariffs by three months sent stocks surging upward by almost 8%. The rumor was unfounded—it appeared to begin from a small account on X—but it indicated how desperate traders are to see an end to President Donald J. Trump’s trade war.
As soon as the rumor was discredited, the market began to fall again, although Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement that he is opening trade negotiations with Japan and looking forward to talks with other countries appeared to reassure some traders that Trump's tariffs will not last. The wild swings made the day one of the most volatile in stock market history. It ended with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down by 349 points and the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite staying relatively flat. Futures for tomorrow are up slightly.