Protesters in D.C. taking part in the "Hands Off!" movement.
On Saturday, April 5th, well over three million U.S. citizens gathered across the country to protest against the Trump administration and its current agencies, tariffs, and policies in the country.
Over 150 groups organized these protests which took place across all 50 states. These rallies were referred to as the “hands-off movement,” which represented the protestors desire for the administration to stop interfering with multiple issues and organizations.
Protesters were looking to acknowledge issues regarding the administration’s defunding of federal programs such as health, gender equality, schools, and other important organizations and programs.
Many also acknowledged issues revolving around civil rights, such as abortion laws, transgender rights, and other women’s rights, and the urge to get Trump’s, and other federal workers’ “hands off” of these areas.
Close to home, 100,000 protesters gathered in Boston Common to take part in the movement, similar to the other protests, aimed towards President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Around 11am on Saturday, thousands flooded the Boston streets with signs, and flags representing support of Palestine, and other issues, like LGBTQ pride and women’s rights.
Among the crowd in Boston was Eugenia Corbo, 53, from East Boston. Corbo, who’s originally from Argentina, spoke to CBS News about what the Trump administration has been doing to the immigrants, and why she chose to protest.
“Seeing the diversity of people here — it gives me hope. I think that’s one of the reasons to come to this protest,” Corbo described. “It’s not just to protest against something, but also to get energy from this crowd and feel some hope that we all need right now.”
The country’s capital, Washington DC, attracted the most protesters, with a crowd of over 100,000. As the largest individual protest anywhere in the nation since Trump was elected into office, the gathered protesters focused on issues surrounding our country’s current political system and human rights.
Many protesters expressed the purpose for their actions, and why it was important for them to contribute to these protests, especially in the heart of our country.
Twenty-eight-year-old livestock farmer Jac Behrends from Hudson Valley, NY, told The Washington Post, “I wanted to be at the heart of it, and D.C. is definitely the heart of it,” Behrends said. “I really hate that billionaires and the rich are in control of our political system. That is not what this country was founded on.”
The “hands-off” protest also attracted thousands to New York City streets. Starting in Bryant Park, protesters holding signs marched down Fifth Avenue and made their way to Madison Square Park. The crowd of protestors made up the length of over twenty city blocks.
Many NY-based protestors who spoke to CBS News expressed the turnout was bigger than expected, and everyone was marching for many different reasons, including government downsizing, economic inequality and threats to human rights.
As claimed by New York protester Elaine DeAngelis, “Losing our money, all our 401ks for retired people. We don’t work anymore. You just don’t get that back.”
These protests are a major step towards spreading nationwide attention to the overuse of Trump’s power. Many citizens are worried about Trump’s policies and what the impact of the policies would be on our future country.