They came with placards, chants, and fury. Across all 50 states—and even in cities as far afield as Berlin and London—Americans and allies turned out in droves on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump’s sweeping policy blitz. The demonstrations, dubbed “Hands Off!”, erupted into the largest coordinated day of action since Trump returned to the White House.
Protesters voiced anger over a range of issues: mass layoffs in the federal workforce, abortion restrictions, trade tariffs, and the gutting of public services. From Anchorage to Atlanta, demonstrators held signs warning of rising authoritarianism and falling living standards.
“This outrageous administration is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, who travelled with 100 others from New Hampshire to protest in Washington. “They’re gutting our government.”
A nationwide roar
Organisers estimate over 600,000 people took part in more than 1,200 rallies across the United States, with additional protests in Mexico, Canada and several European cities. On Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, the protest stretched nearly 20 blocks. Tens of thousands surrounded the Washington Monument in D.C. In Atlanta, police estimated crowds of over 20,000.
“Pouring rain, 43 degrees, biting wind, and people are still here in Albany in the thousands,” posted comic book writer Ron Marz from New York’s state Capitol.
In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale waved a flag reading: “Get out of my uterus,” in protest against Trump’s rollback of reproductive rights.
Musk, DOGE and the machinery of power
Many protesters singled out Elon Musk, Trump’s powerful adviser and head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for helping implement massive government downsizing. The administration claims these cuts will save taxpayers billions.
But on the ground, the consequences are stark. The Internal Revenue Service alone began laying off more than 20,000 workers last week—about a quarter of its workforce.
Outside the Social Security Administration’s headquarters near Baltimore, Linda Falcao, who turns 65 in two months, stood before a crowd and said: “I’m terrified, I’m angry, I’m pissed, I’m bewildered this could happen to the United States… I want my money. I want my benefits!” The crowd roared back: “It’s our money!”
Tariffs and turmoil
Trump’s latest wave of global tariffs has rattled financial markets and alarmed economists, who warn of inflation and a potential recession. Placards reading “I’m tariffied. Are you?” appeared in several cities.
“What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” said Liz Chamberlin, a US-British dual citizen at a London rally. “It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”
At home, many see the moves as a punishment directed at institutions and communities not aligned with Trump’s ideology.
A coalition reawakened
“Hands Off!” was organised by a coalition of over 150 groups including MoveOn, Indivisible, the Women’s March, labour unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, and veterans’ organisations. Many were active during Trump’s first term and have reassembled amid fears that his second could prove more radical.
Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, warned from the National Mall: “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.”
Diverse voices, shared fears
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the crowd: “I refuse to accept that [my children] could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said at the Washington rally: “The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all… We don’t want this America… We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.”
At the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, retiree Roger Broom, 66, reflected on his political evolution: “He’s tearing this country apart… It’s just an administration of grievances.”
Silence from the White House
Despite the vast turnout, the White House was dismissive. In a statement, assistant press secretary Liz Huston insisted: “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries.”
She added, “Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
The president, meanwhile, spent the weekend golfing in Jupiter, Florida.
While protests have followed Trump throughout his political career, the scale and intensity of Saturday’s actions suggest a shift. Organisers hope it marks the rebirth of a sustained resistance movement—one centred not only on identity and civil rights, but also bread-and-butter issues like healthcare, jobs, and the cost of living.
Deborah Doherty, marching through downtown San Jose with her husband Douglas, said: “Now people are kind of numb to it, which is itself frightening. All the cities need to show up.”
And on Saturday, they did.
Protesters voiced anger over a range of issues: mass layoffs in the federal workforce, abortion restrictions, trade tariffs, and the gutting of public services. From Anchorage to Atlanta, demonstrators held signs warning of rising authoritarianism and falling living standards.
“This outrageous administration is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, who travelled with 100 others from New Hampshire to protest in Washington. “They’re gutting our government.”
A nationwide roar
Organisers estimate over 600,000 people took part in more than 1,200 rallies across the United States, with additional protests in Mexico, Canada and several European cities. On Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, the protest stretched nearly 20 blocks. Tens of thousands surrounded the Washington Monument in D.C. In Atlanta, police estimated crowds of over 20,000.
“Pouring rain, 43 degrees, biting wind, and people are still here in Albany in the thousands,” posted comic book writer Ron Marz from New York’s state Capitol.
In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale waved a flag reading: “Get out of my uterus,” in protest against Trump’s rollback of reproductive rights.
Musk, DOGE and the machinery of power
Many protesters singled out Elon Musk, Trump’s powerful adviser and head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for helping implement massive government downsizing. The administration claims these cuts will save taxpayers billions.
But on the ground, the consequences are stark. The Internal Revenue Service alone began laying off more than 20,000 workers last week—about a quarter of its workforce.
Outside the Social Security Administration’s headquarters near Baltimore, Linda Falcao, who turns 65 in two months, stood before a crowd and said: “I’m terrified, I’m angry, I’m pissed, I’m bewildered this could happen to the United States… I want my money. I want my benefits!” The crowd roared back: “It’s our money!”
Tariffs and turmoil
Trump’s latest wave of global tariffs has rattled financial markets and alarmed economists, who warn of inflation and a potential recession. Placards reading “I’m tariffied. Are you?” appeared in several cities.
“What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” said Liz Chamberlin, a US-British dual citizen at a London rally. “It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”
At home, many see the moves as a punishment directed at institutions and communities not aligned with Trump’s ideology.
A coalition reawakened
“Hands Off!” was organised by a coalition of over 150 groups including MoveOn, Indivisible, the Women’s March, labour unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, and veterans’ organisations. Many were active during Trump’s first term and have reassembled amid fears that his second could prove more radical.
Activist Graylan Hagler, 71, warned from the National Mall: “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.”
Diverse voices, shared fears
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the crowd: “I refuse to accept that [my children] could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said at the Washington rally: “The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all… We don’t want this America… We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.”
At the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, retiree Roger Broom, 66, reflected on his political evolution: “He’s tearing this country apart… It’s just an administration of grievances.”
Silence from the White House
Despite the vast turnout, the White House was dismissive. In a statement, assistant press secretary Liz Huston insisted: “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries.”
She added, “Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
The president, meanwhile, spent the weekend golfing in Jupiter, Florida.
While protests have followed Trump throughout his political career, the scale and intensity of Saturday’s actions suggest a shift. Organisers hope it marks the rebirth of a sustained resistance movement—one centred not only on identity and civil rights, but also bread-and-butter issues like healthcare, jobs, and the cost of living.
Deborah Doherty, marching through downtown San Jose with her husband Douglas, said: “Now people are kind of numb to it, which is itself frightening. All the cities need to show up.”
And on Saturday, they did.
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