It’s been over two months since the new administration took control of our government. How are you feeling about it? Have you seen the vast improvements to your everyday life that we were all promised would appear on day one? Are you pleased with the sweeping changes being made to our institutions by an unelected billionaire? Are you happy with the way the rest of the world is viewing our country at this moment? If so, then this op-ed is not for you.

If not, then please keep reading. You need to know that you are not alone. There are millions of us who are extremely concerned about the direction our country is taking and its slide toward authoritarianism and fascism. You need to know that you can be doing something about it. 

On April 5, there will be a mass mobilization across the country (and indeed, in other countries) to protest the current administration and its highly unfavorable policies. Are you wondering what good protests will do? They will tell the administration and the world that we will not take these actions lying down. They will tell your fellow citizens that we don’t have to silently accept this blitzkrieg of terrible executive orders and mass firings. They will tell your children and grandchildren that you didn’t sit back and do nothing while fascists took over our government. 

Over 50 individual Hands Off Protests are scheduled in Ohio alone on April 5 and April 6 combined, including in Sandusky and Oberlin. Feel free to join us and add your voice to the many who will not stand to watch our country fall to the whims of a wannabe dictator. We are meeting at 1 p.m. outside the Sandusky Mall in Sandusky or at 2 p.m. at Tappan Square in Oberlin. 

Authoritarians thrive on fear and silence. Don’t give them that power. Join us on Saturday.

–Katie Rivet