Tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets across the US states on Saturday to protest against the US President, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk, reported the Associated Press (AP).
The protests are organized by an opposition movement called “Hands Off!” in response to what they describe as a “hostile takeover” and attack on American rights and freedoms. The protests mark the largest show of opposition since Trump took office in January 2025.
Nationwide Protests
The Hands Off! movement, which describes itself as a pro-democracy, pro-worker movement, plans to hold rallies across more than 1,200 locations, including state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security’s headquarters, parks and city halls throughout the US states. The movement involves over 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions and election activists.
The demonstrators criticized Trump and Musk’s actions regarding government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. They expressed their anger over Trump administration’s measures, including firing thousands of federal workers, shutting down entire agencies, deporting immigrants, and cutting funding for health programs.
Thousands of Americans rallied in Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC among other US cities. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered in European capitals, such as Paris, London and Berlin, to voice opposition to Trump’s tariffs, according to BBC.
DOGE in the Crosshairs
Trump’s billionaire ally and CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and social media platform X, Elon Musk, has played a key role in the downsizing process through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which he heads.
With a green light from Trump, DOGE has eliminated more than 20,000 jobs from the federal workforce, according to Reuters. Moreover, the Internal Revenue Service on Friday began to lay off over 20,000 workers, accounting for 25% of its workforce.
In the light of this, hundreds of people rallied outside the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, one of DOGE’s top targets, to voice their anger over cuts to the agency which offers benefits to the elderly and disabled individuals.
Protesters Demands
The organizers of the protests outlined three demands, according to CNN. Their demands include putting “an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants and other communities.”
The organizers called on Americans to join the demonstrations. “Whether you are mobilized by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our services – this moment is for you. We are setting out to build a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis,” they said in the event flyers.
According to Hands Off! press release, millions of people turned out on Saturday at more than 1,300 peaceful protests across the US. However, Reuters and AP estimated the number of protesters in thousands.
White House Response
In response to questions about the protests, the White House issued a statement defending Trump’s policies. “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries,” White House assistant press secretary, Liz Huston, said.
“Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors,” Huston added.
The White House added that Trump played golf in Florida on Saturday and planned to do the same thing on Sunday, according to AP.
