‘Hands Off’ Protest in US: Protesters in other European capitals also participated in the protests, voicing their disapproval of Trump’s assertive trade policy.
In the biggest protests since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tens of thousands of demonstrators flocked to the streets of major US cities on Saturday to voice their opposition to his divisive policies.
Rallying in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles, among other places, were opponents of the Republican president’s policies, which ranged from trade tariffs and deteriorating civil liberties to government staffing cuts.
It’s true that I am always furious. Our nation is being run by a group of wealthy, white people who are accused of rape. New York painter Shaina Kesner, 43, joined a gathering walking through the center of Manhattan and declared, “It’s not great.”
Thousands of protesters, many of whom traveled from all over the United States, congregated on the National Mall in Washington, where hundreds of speakers urged people to oppose Trump.
HAPPENING NOW: An aerial view of the MASSIVE protest today in Boston, MA for the "Hands Off!" movement against Elon Musk and Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/0OZgQ2HfHW
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) April 5, 2025
“We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” Diane Kolifrath, 64, a cycling tour guide, said
“They’re gutting our government.”
A woman costumed as a character from the dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” waved a big flag in Los Angeles that said, “Get out of my uterus,” an allusion to Trump’s anti-abortion regulations.
One man among many protesters in Denver, Colorado, held up a poster that read, “No king for USA.”
Protesters expressed their disapproval of Trump and his assertive trade policies at protests that even spread to some European countries.
At a gathering in London, Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen, told AFP that “what’s happening in America is everyone’s problem.”
“It’s crazy economics… He will force us into a worldwide economic downturn.
Susanne Fest, 70, a retiree in Berlin, also declared that Trump has caused “a constitutional crisis,” saying, “The guy is a lunatic.”
According to the groups, a loose coalition of left-leaning organizations, including Women’s March and MoveOn, arranged “Hands Off” demonstrations in every congressional district and more than 1,000 locations in the US.
HAPPENING NOW: A MASSIVE protest is taking place in downtown Chicago for the "Hands Off!" movement against Elon Musk and Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/NVEiTFi8Iy
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) April 5, 2025
Anger
Trump’s aggressive efforts to reduce government, unilaterally enforce conservative ideals, and severely push even friendly nations over trade and borders have infuriated many Americans and caused stock markets to plummet.
“We’re out here to stop the, honestly, fascism,” Boston demonstrator Dominic Santella told AFP. “We’re stopping a leader from… jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants.”
The fact that their party is in the minority in both chambers of Congress has left many Democrats feeling powerless to stop Trump’s actions.
Speakers at the National Mall, a few streets from the White House, including Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, who oversaw the impeachment of Trump during his second impeachment.
“No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he stated to the audience.
Speaking at the demonstration, 71-year-old activist Graylan Hagler said, “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet.”
“We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.”
The protests on Saturday were mostly nonviolent. It was a sunny day in Washington, and the mood was cheerful, with demonstrators ranging from young couples pushing babies in strollers to the elderly.
Shortly after Trump’s first victory in 2016, an estimated half a million protesters gathered in Washington for a Women’s March.
Although 20,000 people were expected to attend the most recent march in Washington, organizers reported that by Saturday afternoon, the crowd seemed much larger.
According to recent polls, Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest level since he took office as he continues to upend Washington.
According to recent polls, Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest level since he took office as he continues to upend Washington.
However, the White House has rejected the demonstrations in spite of the widespread opposition to his broad tariffs and the brewing animosity among many Americans.
Still favored by his supporters, the Republican president is not showing any signs of giving up.
“My policies will never change,” Trump declared on Friday.
