Over 1,100 “Hands Off!” protests, demonstrations, and meetings are planned in across all 50 states this Saturday in what organizers say are a response to the massive firing of the federal workforce overseen by Trump adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them,” the organizers say on their website. “They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them.”
A coalition of more than 150 organizations — including Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Service Employees International Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters and Greenpeace — will participate in Saturday’s demonstrations. The groups point to President Trump’s moves to gut vital services, including the eventual “slashing” of Social Security and Medicaid, as the reason for their involvement in the “Hands Off!” action.
“Nearly 100 days in, President Donald Trump has kept his promises to go after his enemies, but not in order to help Americans. With Elon Musk at his side, he’s attacking the foundations of opportunity: public education, healthcare, collective bargaining and Social Security,” the American Federation of Teachers wrote in a Facebook post. “This Saturday, April 5, we’re joining thousands nationwide to say: Hands off our Social Security. Hands off our public schools. Hands off our jobs.”
While large protests are being planned across the country, one of the largest could take on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
“Parking will be limited due to crowd size and location. Attendees are encouraged to take public transit to the National Mall,” organizers said in an email.
The White House Spring Garden Tours, which had been planned for Saturday, were postponed by a day “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of all within proximity to public demonstrations planned near the White House,” the Office of the First Lady said in a Thursday press release.
Protest organizers emphasized that the demonstrations will display “a commitment to nonviolent action.” The organizers held a training session on how to de-escalate tensions with police and counterprotesters.
More than 250,000 people habve RSVP’d on the “Hands Off!” website that they planned to attend demonstrations. You can find an event near you on the “Hands Off!” mobilize page.
