Tens of thousands took to the streets of Manhattan Saturday as part of a nationwide coordinated “Hands Off” protest against President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk following weeks of government chaos, attacks on democratic rights and economic turmoil.
A huge crowd in Manhattan marched up 5th Avenue between Madison Square and Bryant Parks for the April 5 action, organized by groups including Rise and Resist and 50501. It was just one of more than a thousand protests across the country held Saturday to protest Trump’s actions over the first two months of his second term in office.
Protesters condemned Trump and Musk, who has worked closely with the president as the leader of the “Department of Governmental Efficiency,” for their actions to gut entire federal agencies, from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Social Security Administration and other bureaus.
Though Trump and Musk have said the cuts were needed to stop wasteful spending, opponents say they have sent thousands of workers to the unemployment line and threatened essential services and funding.
Marchers at the Manhattan “Hands Off” protest also protested Trump’s efforts to deport undocumented residents and limit voting rights; fracture America’s long-standing alliance with Canada; and launch a trade war punctuated this week with tariffs imposed on most nations around the world that sent stock markets into a tailspin – and put the country in danger of reignited inflation and a possible recession.
On Saturday, demonstrators from all walks of life chanted, “Stand up, fight back!” urging Americans and elected officials to do more to oppose the Trump agenda and protect the middle class.
“This is ripping apart everything we worked for,” said marcher Carroll Rodriguez. “We need to stand up now, or the fabric of this country will be ripped apart.”
Numerous marchers carried American flags as they walked up 5th Avenue. They also expressed the stress they’re feeling from the wave of Trump’s actions over the past 10 weeks.
“They want to take away our Medicaid and Social Security for the sake of winning,” marcher Robert Clarke said. “How is that a win for the American people at large?”
The NYPD did not have an exact number available of how many people participated in the Manhattan march, but things were peaceful; no arrests were reported.
