More than 1,000 protesters stage ‘Hands Off’ anti-Trump demonstrations across United States

Citizens across the United States stormed the streets on Saturday to oppose what left-leaning organizations called Donald Trump’s “authoritarian overreach and billionaire-backed agenda”.

Organizers were expecting more than 500,000 people to demonstrate in Washington DC, Florida and elsewhere.

Some protesters said they hoped the event – the first mass demonstration in Washington DC since Trump took office – would act as an example to inspire others to register opposition.

The “Hands Off!” protests are expected to give Trump opponents an opportunity to demonstrate their displeasure en masse in response to Trump’s sweeping makeover of U.S. foreign and domestic policy through executive orders.

“This is an enormous demonstration that is sending a very clear message to Musk and Trump and congressional Republicans and all the goose-stepping allies of MAGA that we don’t want their hands on our democracy, on our communities, on our schools and our friends and our neighbours,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, one of the groups organising Saturday’s events.

The largest event was expected to be the one at the National Mall, where members of Congress, including the Democrats Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, are scheduled to speak to crowds.

Some 150 activist groups have signed up to participate, according to the event’s website..

“This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history,” says the website for the protest.

Referring to the White House’s billionaire business adviser Elon Musk and the government cuts he has overseen, the website added: “Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights – enabled by Congress every step of the way.