Thousands protest against Trump and Musk in rallies across US: ‘hands off’
Organisers expect it to be the largest day of demonstrations in response to policies pushed by the US president and his billionaire adviser
Some 1,200 demonstrations are planned across the United States on Saturday in what organisers expect to be the largest single day of protest against US President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk since they launched a rapid-fire effort to overhaul government and expand presidential authority.
Thousands were streaming into downtown Washington as the protests got under way under gloomy skies and light rain. Organisers said that more than 20,000 people were expected to attend the rally at the National Mall.
The protests in the US will give Trump opponents an opportunity to demonstrate their displeasure en masse in response to Trump’s raft of executive orders.
Some 150 activist groups have signed up to participate, according to the event’s website. Protests are planned in all 50 states plus Canada and Mexico.
Protesters were lining the busy thoroughfare of Connecticut Avenue in Washington, awaiting buses to take them downtown. They were carrying signs with slogans such as “No Kings in the USA” and “Deport Musk”.
Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist from Princeton, New Jersey, was among hundreds who gathered early in front of the stage below the Washington Monument.