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President Donald Trump marched on Saturday to a crowd of people angry about how he runs the country with American city scores, still on the day of the demonstrations’ biggest day by the opposition movement, who tried to regain momentum after the shock of Republicans’ first weeks.
I let go of what I meant! The demonstrations were held in more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights groups, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and election activists. The rally looked peaceful and there were no immediate reports of arrests.
From the National Mall and Midtown Manhattan to Boston Common and multiple state capitols, thousands of protesters attacked Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s government’s downsizing, economic, immigration and human rights actions. In Seattle, in the shadow of the city’s iconic space needles, protesters held signs of slogans such as “Fight against Oligarchy.”
Protesters gather during “Hands Off!” On April 5, 2025, we protested the policies of President Donald Trump and his advisor Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Huntington Beach, California. Thousands of people descended on Washington’s national mall, gathering in other cities in the United States, rallied abroad in opposition to Donald Trump’s policies. (Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP
In Southern California, protesters gathered in places such as Huntington Beach, Lakewood, Riverside and downtown Los Angeles. A small protest from Trump protesters took place in Thousand Oaks.
Protesters expressed anger at the administration’s move to fire thousands of federal workers, close the Social Security Agency’s field office, effectively shut down the entire agency, deport immigrants, reduce protections for transgender people, and cut funding for health programs.
Musk, an advisor to Trump, who owns Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, has played a key role in downsizing as the head of newly created government efficiency. He says he’s saving taxpayers billions of dollars.
Kelly Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, also criticised the LBGTQ+ community’s treatment of the administration at a rally at the National Mall, which also took the stage.
“The attacks we see are they’re not political, they’re personal,” Robinson said. “They are trying to ban our books, cut funds for HIV prevention, and criminalize our doctors, teachers, families and our lives.”
“We don’t want this America,” added Robinson. “We want America worthy of America where dignity, security and freedom are not part of us, but of America, where we all belong.”
Protesters gather during “hands-offs” across the country! On April 5, 2025, the day of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his advisor Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the Los Ferris district of Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Etienne Laurent/AFP
In Boston, demonstrators waving signs like “letting go of our democracy” and “letting go of our social security.”
Mayor Michelle Wu said threats and intimidation are government tactics and he doesn’t want children and others to live in a world where values such as diversity and equality are under attack.
“I refuse to accept that they can grow in a world where immigrants like Grandma and Grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals,” Wu said.
Roger Bloom, 66, a retired Delaware County, Ohio, was one of the hundreds who gathered at the state capitol in Columbus. He was once a Reagan Republican, but said he was turned off by Trump.
“He’s tore this country apart,” Bloom said. “It’s just management of complaints.”
Hundreds of people spent their mornings at the club’s Senior Club Championship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, miles from the Trump golf course in Jupiter. People lined up on either side of the PGA drive, encouraging cars to chant with slogans to the cards.
“They need to take their hands off our social security,” said Archer Moran of Port St. Lucy, Florida.
“The list of things they need to let go of is too long,” Moran said. “And it’s amazing how quickly these protests have happened since he took office.”
The president was scheduled to go golfing again on Sunday, according to the White House.
Los Angeles, California – April 5: Thousands of protests when Trump protested nationwide at Los Angeles city hall on Saturday, April 5, 2025 (Keith Birmingham/Medianu Group/Pasadena Star News via Getty Image)
Asked about the protests, the White House said, “President Trump’s position was clear. He would always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for qualified beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats are giving Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare benefits to illegal foreigners who will bankrupt these programs and crush seniors in America.”
Activists have staged numerous nationwide demonstrations against Trump and Musk since Trump took office. But before Saturday, the opposition movement had not yet generated mass mobilization like the 2017 women’s march. This brought thousands of women to Washington after Trump’s first inauguration.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, protesters said they support a range of causes, from social security and education to immigration and women’s reproductive rights.
“What’s happening today, regardless of your party or whoever you voted for, is what’s happening today,” said Britt Castillo, 35, of Charlotte. “It’s getting tired of it and the current system may be broken. It’s the way the current administration is trying to fix things. It’s not a way to do that. They’re not listening to people.”
President Donald Trump and his advisor Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) in Huntington Beach, California, on April 5, 2025, when demonstrators gather during the national “Hands Off!”
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Contributed by Associated Press journalists Julie Kerr Smith of Columbus, Ohio, Fatima Hussein of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Eric Versco of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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