By Daniel Trotta
()- Approximately 1,200 protests are scheduled to take place nationwide on Saturday, with organizers anticipating this will mark the biggest collective demonstration yet against President Donald Trump and his wealthy supporter Elon Musk. This comes as part of their swift push to instill a conservative influence within the federal government.
A few hours prior to when the "Hands Off!" demonstrations were scheduled to begin, numerous American citizens residing in Europe who oppose Trump assembled in cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, and London. They came together to express their disapproval of Trump’s extensive overhaul of both U.S. foreign policy and domestic affairs.
Around 200 individuals, primarily Americans, convened at Paris' Place de la République where they listened to various speeches and held up signs with messages such as "Stand Against Despotism," "Justice Under the Rule of Law," "Feminists Advocating for Freedom Not Fascism," and "Defend Our Democracy."
"The Democratic Party abroad must demonstrate solidarity with protests occurring simultaneously across one thousand American cities today," stated Timothy Kautz, a spokesperson for Democrats Abroad, from his location in Frankfurt. protester Jose Sanchez expressed similar sentiments, accusing Trump of being a fraud who was dismantling U.S. democracy.
The demonstrations in the United States will provide Trump's adversaries with a chance to collectively express their discontent in reaction to his series of executive actions.
"This massive protest is clearly conveying a strong message to Musk, Trump, Republican members of Congress, and all the supportive followers of MAGA—that we do not desire them interfering with our democracy, our neighborhoods, our educational institutions, nor our friendships and community ties," stated Ezra Levin, who co-founded Indivisible, one of the organizations behind Saturday’s demonstrations.
The White House did not promptly reply to requests for comments from both Trump and Musk.
According to the event's webpage, approximately 150 activist organizations have registered to take part.
Activities are scheduled across all 50 U.S. states as well as in Canada and Mexico. The largest gathering is anticipated at the National Mall in Washington D.C.
On January 20th, Trump made his return to the White House accompanied by numerous executive actions criticized for aligning closely with the goals set forth by Project 2025—a highly conservative policy drive aimed at overhauling governmental structures and bolstering presidential power. Supporters have lauded Trump’s bold moves as crucial steps needed to challenge long-standing progressive factions.
The White House assistant press secretary, Liz Huston, refuted the claim made by the demonstrators that Trump intended to reduce funding for Social Security and Medicaid.
President Trump’s stance remains firm: he will consistently safeguard Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for those who qualify as beneficiaries. In contrast, according to Huston’s emailed statement, Democrats support providing Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to undocumented immigrants, potentially leading to financial ruin of these programs and adversely affecting senior citizens in America.
Many aspects of Trump's plans have been limited due to legal challenges arguing that he has exceeded his power by trying to dismiss civil employees, expel immigrants, and overturn transgender rights.
Groups supporting Palestine and against both Israel’s recent military operations in Gaza—supported by the U.S.—and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb demonstrations on college campuses announced their participation in planned marches and protests in Washington, as stated by the organizing bodies.
In early 2017, at the beginning of President Donald Trump's first term, hundreds of thousands of individuals participated in the Women's March on Washington to express their dissent.
This year's protests have been less crowded, however, activist leaders have been plotting to come together for a major demonstration, according to Levin.
Formed following Trump's initial election win in 2016, Indivisible has collaborated with various left-leaning entities such as MoveOn and the Working Families Party to bring together progressive movements across the country.
The participating organizations include the Service Employees International Union, which represents approximately 2 million workers; the Human Rights Campaign, the leading LGBTQ rights organization in the U.S.; and Greenpeace, an environmental activist group.
(Daniel Trotta reported from Carlsbad, California; Additional reporting by Kanishka Singh, John Irish in Paris, Emma-Victoria Farr, Christian Mang, and Frank Simon in Berlin and Frankfurt; Sarah Young in London; Edited by Frank McGurty, Rod Nickel, and Toby Chopra)