Crowds Gather Nationwide for “Hands Off” Protests

This weekend, over 1,200 protests were planned in cities across all 50 states to protest government cuts, immigration crackdowns and tariffs in what became one of the largest single-day protests in U.S history. These protests saw thousands of Americans in attendance, opposing Elon Musk and the current administration’s attempts to expand presidential authority. Others in the crowd carried flags in support of Ukraine and Palestine to protest the handlings of both conflicts. This is said to be the first major opposition protest since Trump’s inauguration. 

The Hands Off protests were led by a nationwide coalition of groups including several civil rights organizations, veterans, women’s rights groups, labor unions, LGBTQ+ advocates and more. Along with the Hands Off protests happening throughout the United States, protests have erupted in Mexico, Canada and all across Europe. Most of the protests occurring in other countries are in retaliation to the sweeping tariffs that were implemented on April 2, a day Trump referred to as “Liberation Day.” Some countries such as Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will see so-called reciprocal tariffs as high as 49%, despite U.S. reliance on these countries for consumer goods such as clothing, machinery and electrical equipment. So far Mexico and Canada have not been included on the list of reciprocal tariffs, though both countries have a standing 25% tariff rate on all exports into the U.S. President Trump has issued these tariffs in an effort to combat threats to our national security, which includes the public health safety concern due to the flow of drug trafficking that is present at both borders.

According to the website where over 400,000 people officially signed up to partake in the protests, they have three demands: “an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to cuts in federal funding for Social Security, Medicare and other programs that working people rely on; and an end to attacks on immigrants, trans people and other communities.” There are other countries that have joined seemingly in solidarity with the American people to show that they will not accept the harsh tariffs being imposed on them. 

Most protesters are aware of the fact that this demonstration will not lead to immediate change, yet these protests seek to raise awareness, influence public opinion, and potentially drive change. In doing so, protestors express their democratic freedom of speech – a right that people in many countries do not have. 

(Featured image source: Wikipedia)