Hands Off! fury in pics: America rises up against Donald Trump’s policies

In the largest wave of demonstrations since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across all 50 states on Saturday, voicing anger over what they called an increasingly authoritarian administration. Organised under the banner “Hands Off!”, more than 1,200 rallies mobilised a broad coalition of groups, including civil rights advocates, labor unions, veterans, and LGBTQ+ organizations.

From New York to Alaska and from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, demonstrators denounced Trump’s sweeping government cuts, hardline immigration stances, and moves against reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

Protesters target Trump, Musk

Chants of “Fight the oligarchy” rang out in Seattle, while in Los Angeles, thousands marched through city streets. Much of the criticism was also directed at billionaire Elon Musk, Trump’s adviser and head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk’s role in spearheading deep staffing cuts and downsizing agencies drew sharp rebuke.

“They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security,” said protester Archer Moran in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. “The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long.”

Scenes from the streets

In Washington, D.C., Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, condemned the administration’s rollback of LGBTQ+ protections.

“The attacks that we’re seeing, they’re not just political. They are personal, y’all,” Robinson told a crowd at the National Mall. “They’re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families, and our lives.”

Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston echoed those sentiments, expressing concern for the future of immigrant families like her own.

“I refuse to accept that they could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals,” Wu said.

Former Republicans join the resistance

Some protesters identified as former conservatives, now disillusioned by the Trump administration’s direction.

“He’s tearing this country apart,” said Roger Broom, 66, a retiree and former Reagan Republican, at a Columbus, Ohio rally. “It’s just an administration of grievances.”

Demonstrators in Denver waved signs reading “No King for USA,” and in Los Angeles, a protester dressed as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale held a flag reading: “Get out of my uterus.”

Calls for resistance and unity

Representative Jamie Raskin, who led Trump’s second impeachment, addressed the Washington crowd:

“No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Veteran activist Graylan Hagler rallied the crowd, saying: “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet. We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.”

White House dismisses protests

Despite the overwhelming turnout, the Trump administration appeared unmoved. The White House released a statement reaffirming its position: “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries,” while accusing Democrats of offering those benefits to undocumented immigrants.

Trump, meanwhile, spent the day golfing in Florida and remained defiant. “My policies will never change,” he said on Friday.