Massive Protest Erupts in US, Reason and Demands of Protesters Released
- Millions rallied across the United States on April 5 in mass protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, decrying what organisers called a “hostile takeover” of American democracy
- The “Hands Off!” movement, backed by civil rights groups and labour unions, demanded an end to sweeping federal cuts and attacks on marginalised communities
- Demonstrations spanned all 50 states and drew hundreds of thousands, signalling a growing resistance to billionaire-led governance and authoritarian policies
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Millions of people joined coordinated protests across all 50 US states and in cities worldwide on April 5 as part of the “Hands Off!” movement, a mass mobilisation against what organisers called a “hostile takeover” by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
More than 1,400 demonstrations were held at key government sites — including state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices and city halls — with organisers demanding “an end to this billionaire power grab”.
Source: Getty Images
The pro-democracy campaign brought together a broad coalition of civil rights groups, veterans, labour unions, and women’s organisations.
According to Indivisible, a leading group behind the action, nearly 600,000 people had formally registered to participate, with some of the largest gatherings taking place in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.
Movement highlights deepening political divide
CNN reported that protesters rallied under three central demands: an end to the Trump administration’s billionaire-led corruption, a reversal of sweeping cuts to public programmes such as Medicaid and Social Security, and a halt to attacks on immigrants, trans people and other marginalised communities.
Flyers for the event declared, “Whether you are mobilised by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our services – this moment is for you.”
In Washington, DC, thousands converged at the National Mall, holding placards reading “Protect Our Constitution” and “Hands Off Our Rights”. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland delivered a scathing critique of the administration, likening Trump’s politics to Mussolini’s and his economic policy to that of Herbert Hoover.
“No moral person wants an economy-crashing dictator who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing,” Raskin said, addressing a sea of demonstrators at the Washington Monument.
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar called on Americans to fight for due process and social justice, while Florida Representative Maxwell Frost urged sustained action through protest, mutual aid, direct action and legislative pressure.
Trump and Musk accused of dismantling public services
Source: UGC
Since returning to office, President Trump and Elon Musk — appointed head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — have overseen sweeping changes across the federal workforce, including mass layoffs and aggressive spending cuts.
Critics said their actions had gutted essential programmes such as USAID and the Social Security Administration, which supports nearly 73 million Americans. Musk, the world’s richest man, reportedly claimed to have put USAID “in the wood chipper”.
Public workers and union leaders condemned the administration's moves as deeply harmful.
“The Trump administration is absolutely destroying public services in this country,” said Randy Erwin, President of the National Federation of Federal Employees, during the DC protest. “That is a cruel joke. They’re doing the exact opposite of making government more efficient.”
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, echoed those sentiments. “They thought we were easy targets… We will not be silenced. We will not bow down,” Kelley said, adding that the unions had taken the administration to court over its attempt to end collective bargaining rights.
Since January, over 121,000 federal workers have been terminated, according to CNN’s latest figures.
Trump extends deadline to save TikTok
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Donald Trump announced on April 4 that he was extending the deadline for a deal to save TikTok in the United States, citing the need for additional work.
The popular video-sharing app, owned by China's ByteDance, faced an April 5 deadline to be sold to an American company or risk shutdown.
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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Basit Jamiu (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.
Nkem Ikeke (Copy editor) Nkem Ikeke is currently a copy editor who also writes for the politics and current affairs desk on weekends. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2010), and has over 10 years of work experience in the media industry (Reporter, News Agency of Nigeria). Email: n.ikeke@corp.legit.ng
