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Sarah Wolcott doesn’t describe herself as a political activist, but she was willing to jump into her first protest with both feet — as participant and organizer.
The Batavia resident said she has watched society erode the last several years and decided to jump in with some civic-minded adhesive.
“I’m definitely brand new to this whole thing. I think my interest in current events kind of fueled this particular event, but I’ve kind of had my mind and my interests kind of leaning more towards being involved more in my community, and trying not to be silently complicit any more,” Wolcott said Monday to The Batavian. “I have a little group of local people in the GLOW region that have kind of started to get together, and just listening to them talk, and just other neighbors and family, people like that. I just felt like I want to do something, and I happened to stumble across this hands off movement, and it sounded exactly what we’re kind of looking for, as far as trying to get involved in something that kind of touches on, it’s Hands Off insert whatever cause you support kind of deal.”
The Hands Off! protest will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday outside of City Hall at 102 Main St., Batavia. This is one of hundreds of similarly themed protests across the country this weekend, from California and Texas to Colorado and Mississippi to Florida and Pennsylvania, and up and down the East Coast.
Wolcott invites all to attend for whatever cause you support that the government has its hands on. “You feel they shouldn’t,” she said.
There is a clear focus on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who “think this country belongs to them,” according to the material.
“They're taking everything they can get their hands on — our health care, our data, our jobs, our services — and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now,” it states. “This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.”
Batavia’s event is to be a peaceful one of people carrying signs and walking in front of City Hall, Wolcott said. Suggested signs begin with Hands Off and finish with a cause important to you. For example, Wolcott’s statements may include Hands Off reproductive rights or Hands Off free speech.
“We want the current administration and local government to know we want hands off our government and that they work for us, so we want them to know that we’re listening that we’re paying attention,” she said. “It’s a peaceful protest. We want people to come and bring their signs and be a visual presence on sidewalks.”
She has noted a gradual emotional build-up since the first Trump administration in 2017 and “how much more the country is getting divided, and how worse it seems to be getting.”
“As the days go on, that Trump’s really not, in my opinion, helping that situation,” she said. “And so I was just trying to find a place where we all have some common ground and maybe start bringing people together and work for change, versus us trying to be working against each other.”
As the political climate has heated up, there haven’t been many local outlets for this type of expression, and Wolcott has received feedback that people have wanted it, she said.
“Just in the past couple of weeks since organizing this event, I have heard from a tremendous amount of people in just my local community how grateful they are that I’m organizing this,” she said. “Because they’re scared and they’re frustrated, they’re worried. Maybe people, especially in my community, the GLOW community, don’t feel so alone, and maybe it can be the spark that starts more things happening, even if it’s just locally.”
A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. All participants are expected to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with their values.
For her first event, Wolcott is proud to have garnered more than 130 registrations as of Monday afternoon, and is looking forward to a successful gathering. Participants are encouraged to register ahead of time, but are welcome to attend if they haven’t.
To register and get more information, go HERE.
Check out handsoff2025.com for more details, including about signs and a map of locations.
