Posters in hands, people on the streets… Americans’ anger erupted against Trump and Musk, ‘Hands Off!’ protest gained momentum

Washington: Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the US on Saturday under a protest called ‘Hands Off!’ and protested strongly against the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk. This was the largest nationwide protest against the Trump administration in recent times, with protest rallies being organised at more than 1,200 locations across the country.

More than 150 organisations participated in these rallies, including civil rights groups, labour unions, LGBTQ+ activists, veterans and election workers. The ‘Hands Off!’ protest is a massive movement organised to express dissatisfaction against the policies of the Trump administration.

Trump is the target of the protesters
The aim of this protest is to protest against the layoffs of employees, large-scale deportations and other controversial decisions of the Trump administration. The protesters say that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are taking over resources that do not belong to them.

The main issues of this movement include cuts in government agencies, reduction in health care budget and restrictions on transgender rights. Billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who is an advisor to Trump and also the head of the recently created Department of Government Efficiency, was particularly targeted by the protesters. Musk is accused of prioritizing corporate interests over the general public.

Protests from Seattle to New York, Washington DC
From Seattle to New York, Washington DC and Boston, protesters raised their voices and registered their protest by showing posters and banners. Human Rights Campaign President Kelly Robinson criticized the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and said that ‘this is not just a political issue, but a family and personal attack’.

White House issued a statement
In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu said, ‘I do not want my children to grow up in a country where the government adopts intimidation tactics and promotes hatred.’ In response to the protests, the White House issued a statement saying that President Trump is committed to protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The government accused the Democrats of creating a financial crisis.

Protests have been frequent since Trump returned to the White House, but the ‘Hands Off!’ protest is considered to be the largest mass movement after the Women’s March 2017 and the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020.