Opponents from President Donald Trump and his adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, joined rally across the United States to review the government and protest the administration’s actions to expand presidential authorities.
More than 1,200 “hands-off” rallies were expected on Saturday, with organizers expecting the largest day of mobilization to oppose the administration’s recent initiative.
The protest site includes the National Mall in Washington, DC, with organizers hoping to attract more than 20,000 people and locations in all 50 US states.
In a report from Washington, D.C., Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said the crowd expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s fundamental enforcement actions and the restructuring led by Musk’s Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The reforms have eliminated more than 200,000 federal statuses, particularly within the scope of the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Agency, resulting in significant reductions in benefits.
“This is one of the biggest demonstrations we’ve seen since Trump launched his second term, and perhaps shows the growing frustration among Americans,” Hannah said.
“While the protest organizers have said this is not going to lead to immediate change, it is a key moment to show that many Americans are opposed to what Donald Trump represents,” Hanna said.
In Chicago, thousands of demonstrators gathered in the Downtown area. Reporting from the protest site, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren said it was “mainly a union crowd.”
“These people are worried about their work… These people are mostly citizens, Chicagoans, a message to the Trump administration, and Elon Musk is “missing hands,” he said.
The organizers estimated that over 250,000 people participated nationwide, although the official count was unknown.
In New York, demonstrators gather at Bryant Park with signs saying, “I’ll pull out Elon” and “I’ve had the Department of Education so I can write this.”
Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson has worked on a gathering in Washington and criticised the treatment of government in marginalized communities. “The attacks we see, they’re not political. They’re personal,” she said.
Similar protests broke out in Atlanta, Boston, Miami and Charlotte, with crowds demanding action against immigrants, healthcare and workers’ rights.
International protest
Around the world, American expatriates and local supporters gathered in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris and London.
In Paris, around 200 protesters, primarily Americans, gathered at representative locations, displaying banners containing messages such as “resistance,” “rule of law,” and “feminists of freedom, not fascism.”
Timothy Coutz, a spokesman for the Democratic Party overseas, stressed the importance of global solidarity. “We must show solidarity with all the demonstrations in all the thousand cities of America today,” he told Reuters.
“This is a huge demonstration that sends a very clear message to Musk, Trump and Republicans in Congress, and all the geese allies in Maga that we don’t want to have democracy,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the organisational groups that talk to Reuters.
The White House defended the administration’s actions.
Deputy Secretary Liz Houston said, “President Trump’s position is clear. He will always protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for qualified beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Democrats have given the interests of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare to illegal aliens.
Palestinian groups also participated in the Washington demonstrations, protesting against the US administration’s support of Israel’s new military action in Gaza and the crackdown on campus protests. になったんです。 English: The first thing you can do is to find the best one to do.
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