“Hands Off” Demonstrators Gather Nationwide in the US to Protest Against Trump’s Policies | Donald Trump News

Opponents of US President Donald Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, have participated in rallies across the United States to protest the administration’s efforts to overhaul the government and expand presidential authority.

Over 1,200 “Hands Off” rallies were expected on Saturday, with organizers predicting it would be the largest single-day mobilization against the administration’s recent initiatives.

Protest locations included the National Mall in Washington, DC, where organizers anticipated more than 20,000 attendees, as well as sites in all 50 US states.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna noted that the crowds expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s sweeping executive actions and the restructuring led by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The reforms have led to the elimination of over 200,000 federal positions and significant cuts to benefits, particularly within the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration.

“This is one of the largest demonstrations we’ve seen since Trump began his second term, and it likely reflects growing frustration among Americans,” said Hanna, who also highlighted the diverse demographics of the protesters, representing various age groups.

“Protest organizers have emphasized that this won’t lead to immediate change, but it’s a crucial moment to show that many Americans oppose what Donald Trump stands for,” Hanna added.

International Protests

Around the world, American expatriates and local supporters gathered in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, and London.

In Paris, around 200 demonstrators, mostly Americans, assembled at Place de la République, displaying banners with messages like “Resist Tyrant,” “Rule of Law,” and “Feminists for Freedom not Fascism.”

Timothy Kautz, a spokesperson for Democrats Abroad, stressed the importance of global solidarity. “We must show solidarity with all the demonstrations happening today in a thousand cities across the USA,” he told Reuters.

Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the organizing groups, told Reuters, “This is a massive demonstration sending a clear message to Musk, Trump, congressional Republicans, and all the MAGA allies that we don’t want their hands on our democracy, our communities, our schools, our friends, or our neighbors.”

The White House has defended the administration’s actions.

Assistant press secretary Liz Huston stated, “President Trump’s position is clear: He will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is to give Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and harm American seniors.”

Pro-Palestinian groups also joined the Washington demonstrations, protesting the US administration’s support for Israel’s renewed military actions in Gaza and the crackdown on campus protests.