In a national protest dubbed “Hands Off,” demonstrators from New York to Alaska poured into city streets on Saturday, April 5, to send a direct message to President Donald Trump and the nation’s unelected leader, aspiring restaurateur and alleged deadbeat dad Elon Musk.
Given Trump’s plummeting approval ratings and Musk’s, well, whole anti-charismatic deal (to put it charitably), it’s hardly surprising that the entire country became one big Tesla lot. As Vanity Fair reported earlier, over 500,000 people had expressed early interest in a local protest. The final number of participants has yet to be tallied, which is unsurprising given the magnitude of the demonstrations, but early estimates put the participant number in the millions.
“They’re dismantling our country. They’re looting our government. And they think we’ll just watch,” the Hands Off! website says as an explanation for the civil action.
“They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich.”
In response to the national protests, the White House said via statement, “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”
Despite the large number of people flooding the streets, the AP reports that most demonstrations appeared peaceful, with no arrests reported as of midday Sunday. Scroll on to see photos from Saturday’s demonstrations across the US.
Atlanta, Georgia
