Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in major US cities on Saturday, rallying against President Donald Trump’s controversial policies, marking the largest demonstrations since his return to the White House.
Demonstrators, critical of Trump’s administration, rallied in cities including Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles.
They voiced opposition to policies ranging from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and what they see as the erosion of civil liberties.
“I am so angry, I’m so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged rapists are controlling our country. It’s not great,” said 43-year-old New York painter Shaina Kesner, who was among the crowd marching through Manhattan.
In Washington, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the National Mall, with many traveling from across the country.
Diane Kolifrath, a 64-year-old bike tour guide from New Hampshire, said, “We have about 100 people who have come down by bus and van from New Hampshire to protest against this outrageous administration (that) is causing us to lose our allies across the world, and causing devastation to people here at home. They’re gutting our government.”
In Los Angeles, a protester dressed as a character from the dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” waved a large flag reading, “Get out of my uterus,” in reference to Trump’s anti-abortion policies.
A protester in Denver, Colorado, held a placard that read “No king for USA,” symbolizing growing frustrations with Trump’s leadership.
Protests also reached European cities, where demonstrators voiced their opposition to Trump’s policies.
Liz Chamberlin, a dual US-British citizen at a London rally, said, “What’s happening in America is everyone’s problem. It’s economic lunacy… He is going to push us into a global recession.”
In Berlin, Susanne Fest, a 70-year-old retiree, criticized Trump’s actions, saying, “The guy is a lunatic,” and claimed he had created “a constitutional crisis.”
In the US, a coalition of left-leaning groups, including MoveOn and Women’s March, organized “Hands Off” events in more than 1,000 cities and every congressional district.
Many Americans are upset by Trump’s aggressive moves to downsize the government, impose conservative values, and apply intense pressure on foreign countries over issues like borders and trade.
These actions have also led to a decline in stock markets.
“We’re out here to stop the, honestly, fascism,” protester Dominic Santella said in Boston.
“We’re stopping a leader from… jailing his opponents, stopping him from jailing just random people, immigrants.”
The protests also reflected frustration with the Democratic Party, which, despite being in the minority in Congress, has appeared powerless to resist Trump’s agenda.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat and impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment, addressed the crowd at the National Mall, saying, “No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
At the rally, 71-year-old activist Graylan Hagler vowed, “They’ve woken up a sleeping giant, and they haven’t seen nothing yet. We will not sit down, we will not be quiet, and we will not go away.”
Saturday’s protests were mostly peaceful, with a positive atmosphere, particularly in Washington, where a wide range of people, including elderly protesters and young couples with infants, took part.
Organizers had expected 20,000 participants in Washington, but by the afternoon, they acknowledged the turnout was much larger.
The protests come as Trump’s approval rating continues to drop to its lowest point since taking office, according to recent polling. Despite the growing pushback, the White House has dismissed the protests, with Trump stating, “My policies will never change.”
Despite widespread global criticism and growing domestic discontent, Trump remains popular with his base and shows no signs of backing down.
