On Sunday, April 6, 2025, New Orleanians packed Lafayette Square to protest the mounting threats to public services, civil rights, and working-class communities. The event was part of a national ‘Hands Off!’ day of action, and the message was aimed squarely at state and federal leaders: keep your hands off our schools, our healthcare, our labor rights, and our neighborhoods.
It wasn’t symbolic. It was personal — and overdue.
Why the Protest Hit So Hard in Louisiana
Governor Jeff Landry’s hiring freeze has already gutted staffing across public agencies, with more budget cuts on the table as the state’s legislative session opens April 14. Protesters showed up with clear demands: fund services, stop the cuts, and put people over politics.
Handmade signs said it all:
• “We Keep the City Running — Pay Us Like It”
• “Hands Off Medicaid”
• “Books Not Bans”
For many, it’s the same old pattern — austerity for the people, subsidies for the powerful. And New Orleans, long left to patch the holes in state neglect, is pushing back.
Leaders Who Showed Up — and the One Running for Mayor
The crowd wasn’t just residents — elected leaders joined in, lending their voices and platforms to the demands from the ground.
• U.S. Congressman Troy Carter stood alongside constituents from Louisiana’s Second District, joining over 2,000 people in calling out federal rollbacks to healthcare and worker protections.
• City Council members JP Morrell and Helena Moreno delivered speeches alongside organizers. Morrell emphasized grassroots organizing, saying: “We are going to organize at our kitchen tables, at our bars, our restaurants, in the parks — like our forefathers did.”
• Samara Smith, of Step Up Louisiana, made it clear the crowd expects more than sympathy from elected officials: “When they push the line, you push back harder.”
Moreno’s Moment
Council President Helena Moreno, who formally launched her campaign for mayor in December 2024, didn’t just show up — she stood with the movement. Her presence reinforced her campaign’s platform: investing in public goods, protecting working families, and restoring trust in city government.
In a race where the city is looking for bold leadership after years of dysfunction, Moreno’s alignment with organized labor and grassroots coalitions could be a decisive factor.
The Protest Was Also a Strategy Session
Organizers didn’t stop at speeches. They distributed petitions, shared legislative updates, and handed out voter registration info. With budget debates looming in Baton Rouge, they urged people to make noise now — not just at rallies, but in lawmakers’ inboxes and at the ballot box.
“Hands off our communities — or we put our hands on the ballot box,” one speaker said.
This Is What Civic Resistance Looks Like
New Orleans knows what it means to be failed by government. This protest wasn’t just about what’s happening in 2025 — it was about what’s been happening for decades.
But this time, the city isn’t waiting for change to come from above. It’s organizing, showing up, and holding people accountable — whether they’re in the Governor’s Mansion or City Hall.
The message was simple: We’re still here. We’re still fighting. And we’re done being ignored.
