Millions Demonstrate against Trump, Musk in US, Elsewhere

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Apr 6: Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of major US cities on Saturday to oppose, what left-leaning organizations called his “authoritarian overreach and billionaire-backed agenda,” the divisive policies of President Donald Trump in the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House for the second term in January.

Crowds of people angry about the way he was running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities on Saturday in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum. The so-called “Hands Off!” demonstrations were held in more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labour unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists.

Organizers estimated that more than 500,000 people demonstrated in Washington DC, Florida and elsewhere. Demonstrators voiced anger over the administration’s moves to fire thousands of federal workers, close social security administration field offices, effectively shutter entire agencies, deport immigrants, scale back protections for transgender people and cut funding for health programs.

Opponents of the Republican president’s policies — from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties — rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. In Washington, thousands of demonstrators — many traveling from across the United States — gathered on the National Mall where dozens of speakers rallied opposition to Trump.

In overcast conditions, protesters displayed a vast array of placards and, in some cases, Ukrainian flags, expressing opposition to the policies of the administration, which has sought cordial relations with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.

Some protesters said they hoped the event – the first mass demonstration in Washington DC since Trump took office – would act as an example to inspire others to register opposition. “The aim is, get people to rise up,” said Diane Kolifrath, 63, who had travelled from New Hampshire with 100 fellow members of New Hampshire Forward, a civic society organisation.

“We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide. “They’re gutting our government.”

In Los Angeles, a woman dressed as a character from dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” waved a large flag with the message: “Get out of my uterus,” a reference to Trump’s anti-abortion policies. In Denver, Colorado, one man in a large crowd of protesters held up a placard reading “No king for USA.”

The rallies even extended to some European capitals, where demonstrators voiced opposition to Trump and his aggressive trade policies. “What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem,” Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen said. “It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”

And in Berlin, 70-year-old retiree Susanne Fest said Trump had created “a constitutional crisis,” adding, “The guy is a lunatic.” In the US, a loose coalition of left-leaning groups like MoveOn and Women’s March organized “Hands Off” events in more than 1,000 cities and in every congressional district, the groups said.

Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize the government, unilaterally impose conservative values and sharply pressure even friendly countries over borders and trade, causing stock markets to tank. “We’re out here to stop the, honestly, fascism,” protester Dominic Santella said in Boston. “We’re stopping a leader from… jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants.”

“We want to send a signal to all people and institutions that have been showing anticipatory obedience to Trump and showing they are willing to bend the knee that there is, in fact, a mass public movement that’s willing to rise up and stop this,” said Leah Greenberg, Indivisible’s executive director.

“If our political leaders stand up, we will have their backs. We want them to stand up and protect the norms of democracy and want them to see that there are people out there who are willing to do that. The goal of this is building a message.”

Many Democrats are irate that their party, in the minority in both houses of Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Trump’s moves. At the National Mall, just blocks from the White House, thousands heard speakers including Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat who served as impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment. “No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he told the crowd.

Saturday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful. An upbeat atmosphere prevailed on a mild day in Washington, with protesters ranging from the elderly to young couples with infants in strollers. Organizers for the latest Washington rally had predicted a turnout of 20,000 but by Saturday afternoon said the number appeared considerably larger.

As Trump continues upending Washington, his approval rating has fallen to its lowest since taking office, according to recent polling. But despite global pushback to his sweeping tariffs and bubbling resentment from many Americans, the White House has dismissed the protests. The Republican president, still popular with his base, shows no sign of relenting. “My policies will never change,” Trump said Friday.

The scene in Hollywood, Florida, about an hour south of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, was lively as well. Referring to the White House’s billionaire business adviser Elon Musk and the government cuts he has overseen, predominantly white protesters chanted: “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Trump and Musk have got to go.

They jeered motorists in Tesla Cybertrucks manufactured by Musk’s electric vehicle maker – and wielded colourful placards against the Trump administration. “Prosecute and jail the Turd Reich,” read one. Some reserved special ire for the world’s richest person: “I did not elect Elon Musk.” Others emphasized the protesters’ anxieties about the future of democracy in the US. “Hands off democracy,” declared one placard. “Stop being [Vladimir] Putin’s puppet,” enjoined another, referring to Russia’s dictator.