Saturday Is 'Hands Off!' Day

More than 1.2K protests against Trump administration, Elon Musk are set across the US
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 5, 2025 6:30 AM CDT
Across the US, 1.2K 'Hands Off!' Protests Are Set
Protesters carry signs in Los Angeles to protest the policies of President Trump and Elon Musk on March 22.   (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Opponents of President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk plan to rally across the United States on Saturday to protest the administration's actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights, and other issues. More than 1,200 "Hands Off!" demonstrations have been planned by upward of 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans groups, and fair-elections activists, per the AP. The protests are planned for the National Mall in DC, state capitols, and other locations in all 50 states. Protesters are assailing the Trump administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close Social Security Administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people, and cut federal funding for health programs.

Musk, a Trump adviser who owns Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, has played a key role in government downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he's saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since the new administration took power. But the opposition movement has yet to produce a mass mobilization like the Women's March in 2017, which brought thousands of women to Washington, DC, after Trump's first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities after George Floyd's killing in 2020. The White House didn't return an email message seeking comment about the protests. Trump has promoted his policies as being in the best interest of the United States.

(More protests stories.)

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