American expatriates gathered at Nice’s Quai des Etats-Unis on Saturday afternoon, joining a global day of demonstrations as part of the ‘Hands Off!’ movement. The peaceful protest, which took place around the miniature Statue of Liberty on the Promenade, drew a notable turnout from the American community residing along the French Riviera.
As previously reported by Monaco Life, the demonstration was organised in response to concerns about policies of the current U.S. administration, with similar events taking place across more than 50 U.S. states and in expatriate communities worldwide.
‘’We are a group of Americans that are protesting against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Hands off our democracy, hands off our freedom of expression. We want French people to know that we do not agree with him,’’ Ruth Lake, one of the organisers, told Monaco Life during the demonstration.
Participants displayed a variety of signs with messages including ‘’No kings’,’ ‘’Hands off our history’’, and ‘’Congress, do your job. Hold them accountable’’. Some featured political caricatures, while others opted for humorous slogans such as ‘’Ikea has better cabinets’’.
The gathering reflected concerns about various issues including voting rights, healthcare access, and social security benefits for Americans living abroad.
“Many Americans want to preserve our rights and uphold the rule of law,” explained one participant. “Especially for Americans abroad, we want to maintain our right to vote, our access to Medicare, to social security, to free speech… and to get into the country after I make this statement.”
Another demonstrator, symbolically dressed as the Statue of Liberty, expressed gratitude towards France: “I’m thankful to be here in France, our oldest ally. We want them to know that we’re not like America, we are trying to save America.” Her sign read, “Deported from the USA, I came home to France.”
Throughout the afternoon, participants chanted various slogans expressing their concerns about the direction of American governance and policies.
The demonstration, which lasted from 4:00pm to approximately 5:30pm, concluded peacefully, with participants dispersing after the scheduled time. The event reflected how political movements in the United States continue to resonate within American communities abroad, even reaching the shores of the Mediterranean.
See more in Kyriaki Topalidou’s news video below…
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Main photo credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life