Nationwide protests are set to take place Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration and its allies, with leaders vowing to stand up to push back against the “most brazen power grab in modern history.”
The “Hands Off!” rallies are taking place in more than 1,000 cities across all 50 states, and nearly 400,000 people have signed up to attend them, according to the progressive organization Indivisible, which is one of the almost 200 groups partnering to organize the movement.
Other partner organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and various advocacy groups focusing on issues like climate change and voting rights.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them,” the movement’s website states. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!”
The protesters have three main demands: an end to the “billionaire takeover and rampant corruption” of the Trump administration; an end to cuts in federal funding for Social Security, Medicare and other programs that working people rely on; and an end to attacks on immigrants, trans people and other communities.
The website states that the country is facing a “national crisis” with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid under threat, protections for workers being stripped and community members like immigrants, transgender individuals and political opponents being targeted.
President Trump has said Social Security and Medicare benefits would not be cut under his push for reducing federal spending but would instead cut out “waste” and “fraud” in the programs. Critics have alleged the administration will cut into these programs and that the only way to reach the amount of reductions planned is to cut into them.
Protesters will go to state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices and city centers, anywhere “we can make sure they hear us.”
The planned protests have already caused the White House to reschedule one of its tour dates for the annual spring garden tours from Saturday to Sunday “out of an abundance of caution” and to ensure safety near the demonstrations.
Washingtonian reported that more than 12,000 protesters are expected for the rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Speakers at that event will include Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Maxwell Frost (Fla.).
MoveOn, another advocacy group involved in the movement, told the outlet that the protests will mark the “largest single day of action” since Trump’s second term began.
The scheduled protests come as backlash among critics of the administration has bubbled up, with Republican members of Congress facing questions and pressure at town halls over Trump’s actions and steps that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have taken to cut down the size of the federal government, laying off workers and cutting back on some government services.
“This is the moment where we say NO,” the movement’s website states. “No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive.”
The website also notes in multiple locations that a commitment to nonviolence is a “core principle” of the movement. It states that all participants are expected to try to deescalate “any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.”
