In photos: Thousands gathered at Pack Square Park for ‘Hands Off’ demonstration

Posted on by Thomas Calder
POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Veteran Jay Carey spoke at the April 5 'Hands Off' events in Asheville at Pack Square Park. Carey is the founder of Resist & Persist, a nonpartisan veteran advocacy organization dedicated to empowering veterans and their families. As he concluded his speech he and the crowd chanted, "Power to the people." Photo by Thomas Calder

Thousands gathered at Pack Square Park as part of the April 5 Hands Off Nationwide Day of Action. According to reports, an estimated 1,400 similar protests are taking place across the country. The Asheville event was sponsored by local groups Good Trouble WNC, Indivisible Asheville/WNC and the NC Poor People’s Campaign.

The two-hour rally featured nearly a dozen speakers, addressing issues on health care, climate, veterans’ rights, Social Security, Medicaid, education and the impact of federal cuts on local organizations and institutions. Along with speakers, the gathering featured performances by Womansong of Asheville and the Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus.

All photos by Thomas Calder.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.
View all posts by Thomas Calder →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “In photos: Thousands gathered at Pack Square Park for ‘Hands Off’ demonstration”

  1. cinda chima

    Thank you, Thomas, for your coverage of this amazing event. Such great photos, and appreciated knowing who the speakers were. –An Unpaid Protester

    1

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.