"Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!" reads a message on HandsOff2025dotcom, the website behind a sweeping wave of protests that erupted across all 50 US states on Saturday.
Millions of Americans took to the streets as part of the “Hands Off!” movement — a pro-democracy mobilization aimed at resisting what organizers are calling a “brazen power grab” by President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The protests, held at more than 1,400 locations including federal buildings, city halls, and public parks, voiced growing fears of authoritarian overreach and the erosion of rights and freedoms under the current administration.
Organizers said the goal was to speak out wherever they could be heard.
What are 'Hands Off!' protests?
"Hands Off!," led by grassroots organizations, is described on its website as "a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history."
Some protesters held signs saying "Hands off our democracy" and "Hands off our Social Security."
"They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security," a protester Archer Moran was quotes as saying by the news agency Associated Press.
"The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long," Moran said. "And it’s amazing how soon these protests are happening since he’s taken office."
Protesters said they were concerned about the government firing thousands of workers, closing Social Security offices, cutting entire agencies, deporting immigrants, and reducing protections for transgender people and health programs.
Activists have held several nationwide protests against Trump and Musk since Trump returned to office, but until Saturday, the opposition had not seen a large-scale mobilization on par with the 2017 Women’s March — which drew thousands to Washington after Trump’s first inauguration — or the widespread Black Lives Matter protests that followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020.
Why 'Hands Off!'demostrations took place?
Trump has upset many Americans by taking strong steps to reduce the size of the government, enforce conservative values on his own, and put heavy pressure on even allied countries regarding borders and trade, leading to a drop in stock markets.
Protesters expressed outrage over the administration’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal employees, shut down Social Security field offices, dismantle entire government agencies, deport immigrants, roll back protections for transgender individuals, and slash funding for health programs.
Elon Musk — CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, and now a key Trump adviser — has been central to these efforts in his role as head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. He claims the cuts are saving taxpayers billions.
People protested against various policies of the Republican president, including government job cuts, trade tariffs, and limits on civil liberties. Protests were held in cities such as Washington, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Denver, as well as in Florida and Colorado.
More than 150 organizations helped plan them, including civil rights groups, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and voting rights groups. The rallies were largely peaceful.
Protesters gathered in places from Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, and at state capitols. They criticized Trump and Musk’s actions related to the economy, immigration, and government changes.
Many people marched to support public services like national parks, small businesses, education, and veteran health care. Others spoke out for abortion rights and fair elections. They also opposed trade tariffs, wealthy business interests, hidden political funding, and immigration policies.
"We're out here to stop the, honestly, fascism," a protester named Dominic Santella was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP. "We're stopping a leader from... jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants."
The demonstrations took place in towns and cities across the US. Images on social media showed large gatherings in places like St. Augustine, Salt Lake City, and Frankfort, Kentucky.
Who organized the protests?
The event was organized by Indivisible, MoveOn, and other groups that have led past protests on abortion, gun violence, and racial justice. Organizers said they now want to focus more on everyday issues like health care and Social Security. Their message is that Trump’s actions are hurting working people while helping wealthy allies.
Millions of Americans took to the streets as part of the “Hands Off!” movement — a pro-democracy mobilization aimed at resisting what organizers are calling a “brazen power grab” by President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The protests, held at more than 1,400 locations including federal buildings, city halls, and public parks, voiced growing fears of authoritarian overreach and the erosion of rights and freedoms under the current administration.
Organizers said the goal was to speak out wherever they could be heard.
What are 'Hands Off!' protests?
"Hands Off!," led by grassroots organizations, is described on its website as "a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history."
Some protesters held signs saying "Hands off our democracy" and "Hands off our Social Security."
"They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security," a protester Archer Moran was quotes as saying by the news agency Associated Press.
"The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long," Moran said. "And it’s amazing how soon these protests are happening since he’s taken office."
Protesters said they were concerned about the government firing thousands of workers, closing Social Security offices, cutting entire agencies, deporting immigrants, and reducing protections for transgender people and health programs.
Activists have held several nationwide protests against Trump and Musk since Trump returned to office, but until Saturday, the opposition had not seen a large-scale mobilization on par with the 2017 Women’s March — which drew thousands to Washington after Trump’s first inauguration — or the widespread Black Lives Matter protests that followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in 2020.
Why 'Hands Off!'demostrations took place?
Trump has upset many Americans by taking strong steps to reduce the size of the government, enforce conservative values on his own, and put heavy pressure on even allied countries regarding borders and trade, leading to a drop in stock markets.
Protesters expressed outrage over the administration’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal employees, shut down Social Security field offices, dismantle entire government agencies, deport immigrants, roll back protections for transgender individuals, and slash funding for health programs.
Elon Musk — CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, and now a key Trump adviser — has been central to these efforts in his role as head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. He claims the cuts are saving taxpayers billions.
People protested against various policies of the Republican president, including government job cuts, trade tariffs, and limits on civil liberties. Protests were held in cities such as Washington, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Denver, as well as in Florida and Colorado.
More than 150 organizations helped plan them, including civil rights groups, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and voting rights groups. The rallies were largely peaceful.
Protesters gathered in places from Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, and at state capitols. They criticized Trump and Musk’s actions related to the economy, immigration, and government changes.
Many people marched to support public services like national parks, small businesses, education, and veteran health care. Others spoke out for abortion rights and fair elections. They also opposed trade tariffs, wealthy business interests, hidden political funding, and immigration policies.
"We're out here to stop the, honestly, fascism," a protester named Dominic Santella was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP. "We're stopping a leader from... jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants."
The demonstrations took place in towns and cities across the US. Images on social media showed large gatherings in places like St. Augustine, Salt Lake City, and Frankfort, Kentucky.
Who organized the protests?
The event was organized by Indivisible, MoveOn, and other groups that have led past protests on abortion, gun violence, and racial justice. Organizers said they now want to focus more on everyday issues like health care and Social Security. Their message is that Trump’s actions are hurting working people while helping wealthy allies.
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