Thousands of demonstrators across the country took part in “Hands Off!” protests against the regime of President Donald Trump and his closest confidant, Elon Musk, aiming to bring “an end to this billionaire power grab”, the Associated Press reports.
Across all 50 states and globally on Saturday, April 5, demonstrators protested Trump’s policies and executive orders which have resulted in the erasure of Black History in federal spaces, mass deportation of immigrants, the termination of federal employees, targeting the Smithsonian’s funding, targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the closing of Social Security Administration field offices, protections for the LGBTIQA+ and more.
According to Mobilize, 1,400 “Hands Off!” mass-action protests were organized by more than 150 groups and all 50 states. Protests were held at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security headquarters, parks and city halls where masses of people raised their voices in disapproval of the Trump agenda.
“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,” the event flyers stated. “We are setting out to build a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis.”
THIS. #HandsOff pic.twitter.com/xl3Oke5dL1
— Fight for a Union (@FightForAUnion) April 5, 2025
In D.C., thousands protested near the Washington Monument, holding up signs in support of LGBTQ rights, Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits, reproductive rights, and their opposition to tariffs.
At the rally, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, spoke forcefully against Trump’s administration’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all,” Robinson said. “They’re trying to ban our books, they’re slashing HIV prevention funding, they’re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives.”
We don’t want this America, y’all,” Robinson added. “We want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.”
At the Space Needle in Seattle, protesters held signs that read “Fight the oligarchy.” Protests were also held in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, California, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall.
As one of his closest allies, Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he claims saves taxpayers billions of dollars by discovering alleged fraud in government agencies. But critics have called Musk, who is not an American citizen, for having a role in the government and his approach to overhauling the federal government. The New York Times reported that DOGE has released “outdated data, accounting errors, and other miscalculations” from the agency.
In response to the protest, the White House issued an official statement.
“President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. 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 statement read.
