Saturday saw tens of thousands of demonstrators flood into Washington D.C., the U.S. capital, to participate in Hands Off! (Hands Off!) protest actions held nationwide, expressing strong dissatisfaction with President Trump's latest "Freedom Day" tariff policy and Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s expenditure reduction plan.

Organizers expected approximately 1200 protests to be held across the United States on Saturday. This will be the largest single-day protest since Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk rushed to initiate comprehensive government reforms and expand presidential powers. According to the event's website, about 150 groups have signed up to participate. Protests are planned in all 50 states of the U.S., as well as in Canada and Mexico.

The protests began under overcast skies and light rain, with thousands flooding into the heart of Washington D.C. Organizers told Reuters that more than 20,000 people were expected to attend the rally at the National Mall.

A radical pastor passionately urged the crowd during a speech: Make Trump and Musk afraid!

The protest gathered at the foot of the Washington Monument, with demonstrators holding homemade signs and chanting slogans. Although President Trump himself was not at the White House today, the White House postponed its originally scheduled garden opening due to anticipated heavy crowds, indicating the authorities' emphasis and vigilance towards this mass movement.

In a speech on-site, civil rights leader and social activist Reverend William Barber II condemned the two focal figures with an impassioned tone:

-- Trump and Musk want to become monarchs and overlords, but they fear the power of truth, justice, and love!

-- They fear your unity and diversity. We will continue to make them afraid until they change!

-- This is not just a policy dispute; it's a war to defend civilization! We will never bow to the arrogant right-wing fascism!

With Trump's support, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team carried out sweeping reforms within the U.S. government, cutting over 200,000 jobs from the 2.3 million federal employees. On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service began laying off more than 20,000 employees, representing a 25% reduction.

This rally was jointly organized by multiple Democratic and progressive groups, marking the first wave of large-scale national protests since Trump returned to the White House in January. According to organizers, over 1,000 cities across the country synchronized their protests. Protests also erupted in locations such as Columbia University and Bryant Park in New York City.

In recent months, Tesla and Musk himself have faced repeated protests from progressives, with some Tesla facilities even being vandalized, sparking controversy. Trump strongly condemned these actions, calling them "domestic terrorism," and hinted at deeper political motivations behind them.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, the main target of the government equality office in Baltimore, protesting the reduction of benefits provided to seniors and disabled individuals by the agency.

Following the agency's recent announcement of layoffs for 7,000 employees and discontinuation of telephone services for millions of applicants, the atmosphere on-site was filled with anger and defiance.

Members of the Gender Equality Office have been staying in the building for several weeks. Many in the crowd were retirees, holding handmade signs including "Where is my country going?", "Fire DOGE!", "Send Musk to Mars", and "Hands Off Social Security!".

These protests targeted both Trump's new round of 10% global tariffs and the government's expenditure restructuring policies, which critics said caused a stock market crash, wiped out trillions of dollars in assets, and dealt a heavy blow to the American middle class and retirees.

Jamie Raskin, a Maryland federal representative who served as chief prosecutor in Trump's second impeachment trial, also showed up to voice support. He praised Reverend Barber's speech and bluntly stated:

"We have the right to call the president mad—he crashed the stock market, wiped out $6 trillion in wealth, and turned my 401K into a 201K!"

Raskin further criticized Trump's economic policies: No moral person would want a lone ruler who collapses the entire economy and knows the price of everything but has no values!

He also extended his dissatisfaction to Trump's past controversial foreign and territorial stances, urging: Trump, Musk, don't mess with Greenland—it's an independent nation! Don't touch Canada or Panama—they're independent nations! What we want is statehood status for the District of Columbia (DC)!

This Hands Off movement coincides with the first day of implementation of the 10% global basic tariff.

Since returning to the White House on January 20th, Trump quickly pushed through a series of radical policies via executive orders, including large-scale cuts to federal personnel, deportation of undocumented immigrants, and revocation of transgender rights, sparking ongoing social controversies. Several policies currently face legal challenges, being accused of overstepping authority.

Despite rising criticism, Trump supporters view these measures as necessary means to "break the establishment" and strike down the long-dominated liberal bureaucratic system in Washington.

This wave of protests is not limited to the U.S. mainland. Before the U.S. protests reached their peak, hundreds of American expatriates had already gathered in major European cities to oppose Trump's policies.

In Paris' Place de la République, about 200 people gathered with signs reading "Rule of Law First," "Feminism Is Not Fascism," and "Save Democracy"; similar actions were simultaneously held in Berlin, Frankfurt, and London.

The march was mainly concentrated in East Coast cities, where public attitudes were relatively calm. Did your city see any marches today?

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490008981037990452/

Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "Top/Downvote" button below.