Signs began appearing at noon Saturday, April 5 in Federal Way. Lines of people with messages to share spilled out of cars and down the streets, filling up all corners of the intersection of Pacific Highway South and South 320th Street and stretching up the block.

The honking started next, with hundreds of cars sharing their support of messages like “Hands off Social Security,” “Diversity Makes America Great,” “It’s not right or left, it’s right and wrong” and “Old and Afraid.” There were some less supportive responses from car windows too, but for the most part, the more than 700 people who attended the Federal Way iteration of the National Hands Off demonstration received support.

There were over 1,300 Hands Off demonstrations across the country with the organizers reporting “millions” of participants. The Hands Off organizers list 196 partner organizations, including large and small progressive groups, labor unions, faith groups, veterans and more.

The most frequent reason people told the Mirror they were out on the street was the “cruelty” of the Trump administration’s cuts to vital programs and attacks on immigrants and diversity programs.

Many spoke about their concerns about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid specifically, and about the concern around the impact of tariffs and what a potential recession will do to their ability to make ends meet.

Cuts at the Social Security department are already interrupting access in benefits in Washington state.

The Federal Way demonstration was organized by Madelyn Grayson, a citizen of Federal Way who heard about the Hands Off protest and decided to register Federal Way. Grayson said even if she was the only one out there on the corner with a sign, it was worth it to try.

Many others joined in to spread the word and by Saturday, there were 400 RSVPs to her event, and the final count was almost double that.

Grayson’s motivation was “the fact that Trump is so cruel … and only thinks about himself,” and that this is what is leading him to “crash the economy and not care about Social Security and Medicare.”

“They are the ‘me’ society, but all of these people out here today are the ‘we’ society,” Grayson said.

The Federal Way Police Department (FWPD) was present with a few officers stationed back behind protesters for everyone’s protection, but the demonstration was peaceful.

Two organizers did experience one threat as they were crossing the street to hand out water bottles. They said the driver drove the car quite close to them and called out a threat including calling them the “f slur.”

The Hands Off organizers described the purpose of the event as “a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, [Elon] Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights — enabled by Congress every step of the way.”

The website states that “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. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich.”

James Lee of Federal Way told the Mirror he came to the demonstration with his wife.

“We usually don’t do this kind of stuff … I don’t get political,” Lee told the Mirror. His motivation for coming out to the demonstration was concerns about Social Security and healthcare.

“Several members of my family use insulin,” Lee said, and he and his wife are “already on a fixed income.” As someone who was a teacher for 42 years, he expressed his frustration with recent references to Social Security as a “ponzi scheme” and said it is no such thing as he has paid into it his entire life.

Many at the demonstration displayed signs calling to the bipartisan nature of their concerns. Lee for example said he actually supports government budget cuts in general, but that it needs to be done using “surgical precision, not a chainsaw,” because the way they are doing it now is just “hurting the little guy.”

Another demonstrator held a sign stating that “it isn’t a right and left, it’s right and wrong.”

American flags were present throughout the demonstration and many expressed that their focus is on making sure the U.S. Constitution is followed and that checks and balances within the branches of government are functioning appropriately.

At the end of the day, many said it felt good to do something and to participate and make their voices heard.

Many ages and causes were represented at the demonstration on Saturday, but what everyone had in common was a desire to speak out for their values. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing

American flags and signs were everywhere during the Hands Off demonstration on April 5 in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing

Demonstrators filled every corner and stretched down the block at the intersection of South 320th Street and Pacific Highway South on Saturday, April 5. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang /Sound Publishing

Three generations came out together to share their concerns about the current presidential administration’s actions at the Hands Off demonstration on April 5. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing

Many demonstrators spoke about the importance of protecting refugees and immigrants that make up much of the Federal Way community. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing

Demonstrators shared a variety of “Hands Off” messages at the Federal Way demonstration on Saturday, April 5 in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing