Thousands of people descended Saturday, April 5, on Washington's National Mall and rallied in other cities across the United States and abroad in opposition to the policies of Donald Trump, in the largest protests since he returned to the presidence.
Protesters assailed the conservative 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.
A big "HANDS OFF!" banner stretched across the stage of an outdoor theater just a few blocks from the White House, with protesters holding signs that read "Not My President!", "Fascism has Arrived," "Hands Off Our Social Security" and "Wake Up and Smell the Coup."
Jane Ellen Saums, 66, said she was dismayed to see the Trump administration dismantling America's long-standing democratic institutions. "It's extremely concerning to see what is happening to our government, and all of the checks and balances that have been put in place that are being totally run over − everything from the environment to personal rights," said the real estate worker who came dressed as Mother Nature, wrapped in ivy and holding a globe.
At a time of spreading global resentment against the Republican president − heightened by his announcement Wednesday of sweeping tariffs against scores of countries − demonstrators also marched in several European capitals.
"What's happening in America is everyone's problem," Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen living in England told AFP at a London rally. "It's economic lunacy... He is going to push us into a global recession."
In the US, a loose coalition of dozens of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women's March organized "Hands Off" events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups said.
The unifying theme: the growing resentment of what another organizing group, Indivisible, has called "the most brazen power grab in modern history," led by Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk.
Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump's aggressive moves. "The Democrat Party is kind of wimping out... and not actually standing up for our rights," said Abbott Sherwin, 19, a college student from Raleigh, North Carolina who was marching in Washington, adding that "the Republican Party is a cult around Trump."
Saturday's demonstrations were largely peaceful. A festive atmosphere prevailed on a mild day in Washington, with protesters ranging from the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers.
Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations against Trump or Musk multiple times since Trump returned to office. 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.
Organizers for the latest Washington rally had predicted a turnout of 20,000 but by Saturday afternoon said the number appeared considerably larger.
As Trump continues aggressively shaking things up in Washington and beyond, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking office, according to recent polling.
But despite pushback around the globe to his sweeping imposition of tariffs and bubbling resentment from many Americans, the White House has dismissed the protests. The Republican president, still popular with his base, has given no sign of relenting.
Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that "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."