Millions of Americans took to the streets on Saturday in a resounding display of defiance against President Donald Trump’s administration, marking one of the largest coordinated protest movements since his return to the White House in January.
From the bustling avenues of New York City to the historic lawns of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and the cobblestone streets of Boston, demonstrators flooded public spaces, their voices united under the banner of the “Hands Off!” campaign.
Organizers reported over 1,400 rallies spanning all 50 states, with crowds swelling to an estimated 3 to 5 million participants nationwide—a figure that underscores the deepening rift between the administration and a broad swath of the public.
The protests, which echoed similar actions earlier in the year but on an unprecedented scale, were largely peaceful, though isolated scuffles with law enforcement were reported in a handful of cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles.
At the heart of the “Hands Off!” movement lies a coalition of more than 150 advocacy groups, a diverse alliance that includes civil rights organizations like the NAACP, labor unions such as the AFL-CIO, veterans’ groups like VoteVets, scientific bodies including the Union of Concerned Scientists, and LGBTIQ+ activists from groups like the Human Rights Campaign.
This patchwork of voices converged around three core demands: an immediate halt to what they describe as a “billionaire takeover” of government led by figures like Elon Musk, an end to proposed slashes in federal funding for essential programs like Medicaid and Social Security, and a cessation of aggressive policies targeting immigrants, transgender individuals, and other marginalized communities.
In Washington, D.C., where tens of thousands gathered under a crisp autumn sky, the air was thick with chants of “Hands off our rights!” and “No kings in America!” Speakers, including Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Jamie Raskin, lambasted the administration’s recent moves, from mass firings in federal agencies to the expansion of immigration raids.
Omar, addressing the throng from a makeshift stage near the Washington Monument, declared, “This is not just about one policy or one billionaire—it’s about reclaiming our democracy from those who would sell it to the highest bidder.”
Nearby, protesters waved signs depicting Musk as a puppeteer pulling strings behind Trump, a nod to the tech mogul’s influential role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has spearheaded controversial workforce reductions across the federal bureaucracy.
Videos circulating on social media captured the sheer volume of the crowds: aerial drone footage from New York showed Fifth Avenue choked with marchers stretching for blocks, while in Boston, demonstrators shut down parts of the Freedom Trail, linking historical symbols of liberty to contemporary battles.
One viral clip from the National Mall depicted a sea of pink-hatted women—reminiscent of the 2017 Women’s March—mingling with union workers in high-visibility vests and scientists holding placards reading “Hands Off Our Data.”
The breadth of grievances was evident everywhere. In Los Angeles, Hollywood writers and actors joined forces with environmental activists to protest cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, fearing they would exacerbate wildfires and climate disasters.
In Detroit, autoworkers rallied against proposed tariffs that could devastate the auto industry, chanting “Workers over billionaires!” as they marched past shuttered factories—a stark reminder of economic anxieties fueling the unrest.
Smaller towns weren’t left out; in Ketchum, Idaho—a community of just over 3,500 residents—more than 500 locals gathered to decry reductions in Forest Service funding, with one protester dressing as Smokey Bear and holding a sign that read, “Only you can prevent forest fires. Seriously. We’ve been defunded. It’s just you now.”
The movement’s origins trace back to a surge of smaller actions earlier in 2025, including February’s “Stand Up for Science” rallies and the August “Fight the Trump Takeover” events, but Saturday’s mobilization was billed as a turning point.
Coordinated by grassroots networks like Indivisible and People’s Action, the protests drew inspiration from global solidarity actions, with sister rallies reported in London, Sydney, and Mexico City, where demonstrators decried U.S. foreign policy shifts, including reduced aid to Ukraine and escalated tensions with Latin America.
Elon Musk’s shadow loomed large over the day’s events. As Trump’s unofficial advisor and DOGE co-chair, the Tesla CEO has become a lightning rod for criticism, accused of wielding undue influence without electoral accountability.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, protesters flew upside-down American flags—a traditional distress signal—while railing against Musk’s push for drastic federal spending cuts, which have already led to turmoil at agencies like the Social Security Administration, affecting benefits for 73 million Americans.
One demonstrator, a 59-year-old accountant from the Twin Cities named Don Westhoff, told reporters, “This isn’t just about jobs—it’s about whether our government serves the people or a handful of elites. Hands off our future.”
The White House dismissed the protests as “partisan theater orchestrated by sore losers,” with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issuing a statement that read, “President Trump is delivering on his promises to drain the swamp and make America efficient again. These rallies change nothing.”
Trump himself, speaking at a campaign-style event in Florida, quipped, “They can protest all they want—I’ll be too busy winning to notice.”<grok:”> <argument name=”citation_id”>2</argument </grok: Yet, behind the bravado, polls suggest slippage: a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey pegged Trump’s approval at 43%, down from 47% at inauguration, with only 37% approving of his economic handling.
As night fell, the energy persisted online, where hashtags like #HandsOff and #NoBillionaireTakeover trended globally, amassing millions of views. X users shared everything from heartfelt testimonials—”My Social Security check is all I have; don’t take it away”—to satirical memes lampooning Musk as “Emperor of Efficiency.”
Veterans groups highlighted the human cost, with one Vietnam-era protester in Charlotte, North Carolina, telling NBC News, “We fought for this country, not for it to be auctioned off.”
LGBTIQ+ activists, meanwhile, focused on rollbacks to transgender healthcare and Pride funding, with rainbow flags dotting crowds from Seattle to Miami.
The protests’ success in mobilizing such numbers without major violence has emboldened organizers, who are already planning follow-ups, including a “Workers Over Billionaires” Labor Day sequel and October’s “No Kings” events.
In a nation polarized yet resilient, Saturday’s “Hands Off!” rallies served as a clarion call: a reminder that while power may shift in Washington, the people’s voice remains the ultimate check.
As one Boston marcher put it amid the fading echoes of chants, “We’re not just protesting—we’re promising a fight for the America we deserve.”