{"id":22830,"date":"2025-04-05T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/angry-protesters-from-new-york-to-alaska-assail-trump-and-musk-in-hands-off-rallies\/"},"modified":"2025-04-06T04:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T04:00:00","slug":"angry-protesters-from-new-york-to-alaska-assail-trump-and-musk-in-hands-off-rallies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/angry-protesters-from-new-york-to-alaska-assail-trump-and-musk-in-hands-off-rallies\/","title":{"rendered":"Angry protesters from New York to Alaska assail Trump and Musk in \u2018Hands Off!\u2019 rallies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crowds of people angry about the way President Donald Trump<\/a> is running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities Saturday in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republican\u2019s first weeks in office.<\/p>\n

So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states<\/a> by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests.<\/p>\n

Thousands of protesters in cities dotting the nation from Midtown Manhattan to Anchorage, Alaska, including at multiple state capitols, assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk<\/a> ‘s actions on government downsizing, the economy, immigration and human rights. On the West Coast, in the shadow of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, protesters held signs with slogans like \u201cFight the oligarchy.\u201d Protesters chanted as they took to the streets in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, where they marched from Pershing Square to City Hall.<\/p>\n

Demonstrators voiced anger over the administration’s moves to fire thousands of federal workers<\/a>, close Social Security Administration field offices<\/a>, effectively shutter entire agencies<\/a>, deport immigrants<\/a>, scale back protections for transgender people<\/a> and cut funding for health programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Musk, a Trump adviser who runs Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, has played a key role in the downsizing as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. He says he is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.<\/p>\n

Asked about the protests, the White House said in a statement that \u201cPresident Donald Trump\u2019s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats\u2019 stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign advocacy group, criticized the administration’s treatment of the LBGTQ+ community at the rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where Democratic members of Congress also took the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe attacks that we\u2019re seeing, they\u2019re not just political. They are personal, y\u2019all,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to ban our books, they\u2019re slashing HIV prevention funding, they\u2019re criminalizing our doctors, our teachers, our families and our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want this America, y\u2019all,\u201d Robinson added. \u201cWe want the America we deserve, where dignity, safety and freedom belong not to some of us, but to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Boston, demonstrators brandished signs such as \u201cHands off our democracy\u201d and \u201cHands off our Social Security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Michelle Wu said she does not want her children and others’ to live in a world in which threats and intimidation are government tactics and values like diversity and equality are under attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cI refuse to accept that they could grow up in a world where immigrants like their grandma and grandpa are automatically presumed to be criminals,\u201d Wu said.<\/p>\n

Roger Broom, 66, a retiree from Delaware County, Ohio, was one of hundreds who rallied at the Statehouse in Columbus. He said he used to be a Reagan Republican but has been turned off by Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s tearing this country apart,\u201d Broom said. \u201cIt\u2019s just an administration of grievances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a few miles from Trump’s golf course in Jupiter, where he spent the morning at the club’s Senior Club Championship. People lined both sides of PGA Drive, encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need to keep their hands off of our Social Security,\u201d said Archer Moran of Port St. Lucie, Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long,\u201d Moran said. \u201cAnd it’s amazing how soon these protests are happening since he\u2019s taken office.\u201d<\/p>\n

The president golfed in Florida Saturday and planned to do so again Sunday, the White House said.<\/p>\n

Activists have staged nationwide demonstrations<\/a> against Trump and Musk multiple times since Trump returned to office<\/a>. But before Saturday the opposition movement had yet to produce a mass mobilization like the Women’s March in 2017<\/a>, which brought thousands of women to Washington after Trump’s first inauguration, or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted in multiple cities<\/a> after George Floyd’s killing by police in Minneapolis in 2020.<\/p>\n

In Charlotte, North Carolina, protesters said they were supporting a variety of causes, from Social Security and education to immigration and women’s reproductive rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of your party, regardless of who you voted for, what\u2019s going on today, what\u2019s happening today is abhorrent,\u201d said Britt Castillo, 35, of Charlotte. \u201cIt\u2019s disgusting, and as broken as our current system might be, the way that the current administration is going about trying to fix things \u2013 it is not the way to do it. They\u2019re not listening to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among thousands marching through downtown San Jose, California, were Deborah and Douglas Doherty.<\/p>\n

Deborah, a graphic designer, is a veteran of the 2017 Women\u2019s March and was nervous that fewer people have turned out against Trump this time. \u201cAll the cities need to show up,\u201d she said. \u201cNow people are kind of numb to it, which is itself frightening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Associated Press journalists Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, Fatima Hussein in West Palm Beach, Florida, Erik Verduzco in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicholas Riccardi in San Jose, California, and Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators carry signs during the \u201cHands Off!\u201d protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Protestors
Protestors shout slogans as they take to the streets and march during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Andres Kudacki)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Andres Kudacki)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Protesters
Protesters form a human banner on Ocean Beach during a protest against President Donald Trump, part of the \u201cHands Off\u201d rallies held nationwide, in San Francisco, Saturday, April 5, 2025.\/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)<\/span>Protesters form a human banner on Ocean Beach during a protest against President Donald Trump, part of the "Hands Off" rallies held nationwide, in San Francisco, Saturday, April 5, 2025.\/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hundreds
Hundreds of people gather in downtown St. Joseph, Mich., Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a \u201cHands Off\u201d rally held to protest the Trump administration and recent DOGE cuts. (Don Campbell\/The Herald-Palladium via AP)<\/span>(Don Campbell\/The Herald-Palladium via AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Protestors
Protestors hold signs as they take to the streets and march during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Andres Kudacki)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Andres Kudacki)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators carry signs during the \u201cHands Off!\u201d protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators carry signs during the \u201cHands Off!\u201d protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Activists
Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d demonstration Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators march during a rally against President Donald Trump, in Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, as part of the nationwide \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest. (Loren Holmes\/Anchorage Daily News via AP)<\/span>(Loren Holmes\/Anchorage Daily News via AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Activists
Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d demonstration Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Pro-Palestinian
Pro-Palestinian protesters carrying a depiction of President Donald Trump gather at a rally before marching toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Protesters
Protesters carry signs and chant slogans against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Marta Lavandier)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Marta Lavandier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump in Portsmouth, N.H., Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Caleb Jones)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Caleb Jones)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A demonstrator twirls a ribbon during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Demonstrators
Demonstrators hold up signs during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Activists
Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d demonstration Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Activists
Activists protest President Donald Trump, who was a few miles away at his Trump National Golf Club, during a \u201cHands Off!\u201d demonstration Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Protesters
Protesters carry signs and chant slogans against the policies of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo\/Marta Lavandier)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Marta Lavandier)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Beth
Beth Maddox, of Calhoun, Ga., right, participates in a civil rights demonstrators, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Rome, Ga. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hundreds
Hundreds of people gather in downtown St. Joseph, Mich., Saturday, April 5, 2025, during a \u201cHands Off\u201d rally held to protest the Trump administration and recent DOGE cuts. (Don Campbell\/The Herald-Palladium via AP)<\/span>(Don Campbell\/The Herald-Palladium via AP)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Demonstrators hold up signs during a "Hands Off!" protest against President Donald Trump at the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)(AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana) Crowds of people angry about the way President Donald Trump is running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities Saturday in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,315],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-22830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-president-donald-trump"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22830"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=22830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}