Various sources
Washington, DC, Apr 6: In one of the largest coordinated demonstrations since the Black Lives Matter movement, millions of Americans took to the streets across all 50 states on April 5, protesting against US president Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The "Hands Off!" protests were triggered by mounting public outrage over the Trump administration’s recent policies — particularly the creation of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Musk, and sweeping budget cuts impacting healthcare, housing, and education.
Critics say the newly formed DOGE hands unprecedented power to Musk, fueling fears of unchecked privatization of federal agencies. Meanwhile, aggressive new tariffs announced by the administration have raised concerns over rising consumer prices and economic instability.
In Washington, DC, a crowd estimated at over 100,000 gathered near the National Mall, waving signs that read "Democracy Not for Sale" and "Billionaires Out of Government."
AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, addressing the rally, said: "We are here to say: hands off our democracy, hands off our rights, and hands off our future!"
Florida Representative Maxwell Frost charged: "We will not sit back while billionaires run our government like a private company. We will resist — and we will win."
Similar scenes were witnessed nationwide — from Los Angeles to New York.
In Union Square, New York City, community organizer Maria Gonzalez told reporters: "Musk and Trump think they can buy democracy. We're here to remind them: democracy is not for sale."
The rallies spread to several European capitals. The protesters here opposed Trump and his tough trade policies.
In Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said that Trump had sparked “a constitutional crisis,” adding, “The guy is a lunatic.”
Protesters accused Musk and Trump of eroding democratic institutions for personal and corporate gain, warning that the DOGE initiative could lead to massive government outsourcing, loss of worker protections, and suppression of public oversight.
Organizers vowed that Saturday’s rallies were only the beginning of a broader national movement to defend democratic values and resist what they described as "billionaire authoritarianism."
The Trump administration has so far not responded publicly to the protests. Musk, however, posted on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) dismissing the demonstrations as "manufactured outrage by professional protesters."
As tensions mount, activists are already planning a second wave of marches later this month.