Thousands of people across all 50 US states—and in cities around the world—joined large-scale protests on Saturday against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Organized by the pro-democracy movement “Hands Off!”, the demonstrations were a response to what organizers describe as a “hostile takeover” threatening American rights and freedoms.
More than 1,400 protests took place at symbolic locations nationwide, including state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security headquarters, parks, and city halls. The movement’s central message: “End the billionaire power grab.”
“Whether you’re alarmed by attacks on democracy, job losses, privacy intrusions, or the dismantling of vital public services—this is your moment,” read the event flyers. Organizers aimed to build a powerful, visible national response to what they call a mounting crisis.
‘Indivisible,’ one of the key groups behind the movement, said nearly 600,000 people registered to attend. Demonstrations also occurred in global cities like London and Paris, underscoring international concern. While CNN has not independently verified turnout figures, “Hands Off!” organizers claim that millions participated across the US.
The movement outlined three core demands: an end to the “billionaire takeover” and corruption within the Trump administration; a halt to funding cuts for essential programs like Medicaid and Social Security; and the cessation of attacks on immigrants, transgender individuals, and other marginalized groups.
During the Hands Off! protest in Washington, DC, multiple representatives took to the podium to speak about the Trump administration, including Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who said there is no future with a president who has “the politics of Mussolini and the economics of Herbert Hoover.”
“Our founders wrote a Constitution that does not begin with ‘We, the dictators,’ the preamble says ‘We, the people,’” Raskin said in front of a crowd of thousands gathered at the Washington Monument, holding signs condemning the administration. “No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
Rallygoers traveled from across the country in a show of force at the nation’s capital over concerns of the administration’s policies. Demonstrators on the National Mall chanted, “Hey ho, Trump’s gotta go,” while holding signs reading “Protect our Constitution” and “Hands off our rights.”
“If you want a country that still believes in due process, we have to fight for it,” said Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar at the Washington protest. “If you believe in a country where we take care of our neighbors, look after the poor and make sure our children have a future they can believe in, we have to fight for it.”
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost also spoke, urging people to take action by protesting, donating to mutual aid, participating in direction action and focusing on legislative strategies.
“Throughout human history, authoritarians, they’re never satisfied with the power they have, and so they test the bounds, they push the limits, they break the law, and then they look at the public to see if they’re quiet or if they’re loud,” said Frost.
In Los Angeles, protesters marched along a 1-mile loop toward City Hall, chanting “Power to the People” and wielding signs with messages like “Hands Off Education” and “Resist, Resist.”
Header image: DWnews
