Hundreds of “Hands Off” protests kicked off in all 50 states on Saturday, April 5 where thousands of people gathered to voice their opposition to Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
The demonstrations, which have been organized by more than 150 LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, labor unions, veterans, and civil rights organizations, saw protestors fanning out to rail against a multitude of actions taken by the Trump administration in recent weeks, including the termination of thousands of federal employees, the closure of Social Security Administration offices, the deportation of immigrants, attacks on the rights of transgender people and more.
Many of those changes have been led by Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Photos and videos shared on social media indicate crowds are sizable. Political commentator Art Candee noted “a MASSIVE crowd of protesters” in Boston and also shared video from another protest in Ohio.
Duluth, Minnesota…2,500 gathered to say #HandsOff pic.twitter.com/vaqIIFQr14
— Dushan Skorich(@dukeduluth) April 5, 2025
Protesters in Columbus, Ohio are out at the Hands Off! protest!
— Art Candee
Thank you, Ohio! pic.twitter.com/kg6fpyLkd1(@ArtCandee) April 5, 2025
“This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history,” the organization Move On said in a statement. “Trump, Musk and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy and our basic rights – enabled by Congress every step of the way,” the organization said in a statement.”
“They want to strip America for parts – shuttering social security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid – all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we don’t fight now, there won’t be anything left to save,” the statement concluded.
The White House rebuffed the protests in a 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 Trump administration’s sweeping actions have not gone without legal challenges. On Feb. 28, Judge William Alsup ruled that the office that has overseen many federal job cuts “does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees at another agency.”
News anchors and notable figures have also commented on the administration’s actions. In March, Whoopi Goldberg noted on “The View” that Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said last year that “legal immigrants are perfectly safe” from deportation, something that might not hold.
“This is what he said. This is not what they’re doing,” she said pointedly. “And yes, this is on us. Because the next one they take could be you.”
