“Hands Off” Protests: America Is Waking Up

Across the USA, protests have erupted under the banner “Hands Off” against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk—America is finally taking notice

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/04/05/g-s1-58479/photos-see-hands-off-protests-trump-muskIntroduction

Introduction

It seems that the American public has reached a breaking point with the audacious behavior of their new president, Donald Trump, and his associate, billionaire playboy Elon Musk. Across the United States, a wave of “Hands Off” protests has begun.

To be precise, demonstrations have taken place in all 50 states at 1,200 different locations. These protests are organized by 150 different groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates, veterans, and electoral activists.

Similar protests have also been held in Europe, where American expatriates in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, and London have gathered to voice their opposition to Trump’s policies and to support their fellow citizens protesting across America.

What is the "Hands Off" Movement

According to the movement’s website, “Hands Off” is a protest led by a coalition of local groups with the goal of “a national mobilization to stop the most outrageous seizure of power in modern history.”

As the site explains: “They (Trump and Musk) want to strip America bare—closing Social Security offices, firing key workers, dismantling consumer protections, and destroying Medicaid—to finance their billionaire tax fraud. They are handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-wealthy. If we do not fight now, there will be nothing left to save.”

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in cities from New York to Alaska in peaceful marches—the largest yet—as they express their dissatisfaction with the way their president and his associates are running the country.

Why do The People Protest

The protesters' anger is aimed at recent actions by Trump’s administration, such as firing thousands of federal workers, shutting down local Social Security offices, deporting immigrants, imposing unrealistic tariffs on the whole world, cutting funding to health programs, and reducing protections for transgender people.

At these protests, demonstrators carried signs bearing slogans like “Fight the Oligarchy,” which were displayed on the West Coast near Seattle’s iconic Space Needle—a clear denunciation of the moves being made by President Trump and Elon Musk.

In the days leading up to this Saturday’s events, organizers had attempted to hold protests across the country, yet none had managed to mobilize the masses to the extent seen now—comparable to the Women’s March in 2017 or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

White House press aide Liz Huston issued a statement on the protests, asserting that President Trump’s stance is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare for “eligible beneficiaries.” In contrast, Democrats argue that these benefits are being handed to illegal immigrants and foreigners, ultimately risking the collapse of these programs and the ruin of American retirees and seniors.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/04/05/g-s1-58479/photos-see-hands-off-protests-trump-musk

Who Exactly Are the Protests Targeting

The primary target of the demonstrators’ anger is President Trump and his billionaire friend Elon Musk. While Trump spent his day in Florida, casually playing golf at his Jupiter club before returning to his Mar-a-Lago estate in the afternoon, around 400 protesters gathered in West Palm Beach—just four miles from Mar-a-Lago—to make their voices heard.

Drivers passing by honked in support, and one sign read: “Markets tank, Trump golfs,” expressing clear discontent with his indifferent attitude toward the market issues he has helped create with his tariffs.

In another display of defiance, hundreds of protesters assembled in front of the Social Security Administration building—one of the key targets of Musk’s “DOGE” group—to protest the cuts to benefits for seniors and people with disabilities.

One of the largest demonstrations took place in Washington, D.C., where, according to organizers, about 20,000 people gathered at the National Mall despite gloomy weather and light rain.

Indivisible, one of the organizations leading the movement in collaboration with a national coalition that includes civil rights groups, veterans, women’s rights advocates, labor unions, and LGBTQ+ supporters, reported that roughly 600,000 people from the USA and around the world have signed up to participate in these events.

Conclusion

These protests are not the first time American citizens have taken to the streets against President Trump and his wealthy advisors.

Protests occurred during his first term as well, but given the current state of affairs, these demonstrations could soon escalate both within the United States and globally.

What is different this time is that Trump is now turning his ire not only on the world at large but also on his own citizens.

By bringing Elon Musk and his “DOGE” team into the mix, whose actions include firing public employees on a whim and engaging in other reckless behavior, Trump has crossed a line.

His stricter immigration policies and divisive measures, which undermine the rights of groups such as the LGBTQ+ community and favor the so-called 1% of society, have not been well received at home or abroad. If things do not change soon, the country may face protests of unprecedented scale.

All of this is acceptable as long as the protests remain peaceful and nonviolent. However, if violence erupts—as some point to with reports of Musk’s cars being set ablaze—the situation could deteriorate further for all parties involved.

Violence breeds violence, and that path can only lead to conflict or even civil war—an outcome no one desires.

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