Hands Off! rallies were held in cities and towns across the United States this past weekend. Protesters demonstrated against the Trump administration’s policies and the massive cuts inflicted by Elon Musk’s DOGE team.

I participated in the Hands Off! rally in downtown Chicago and marched along with the crowd through the Loop. The most popular chants were “Hands Off!”and a call-and-response of “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”

I viewed an array of signs calling for defending education and libraries, ensuring medical and scientific research, saving Medicare and Medicaid, and preserving Social Security.

Federal workers, scientists, researchers, professors, teachers, and librarians who have been targeted by the DOGE team were highly visible in the crowd in Chicago.

Massive crowds marched through the streets of New York City, Washington, D.C., and many other cities across the nation.

“Crowds of people angry about the way President Donald Trump is running the country marched and rallied in scores of American cities Saturday in the biggest day of demonstrations yet by an opposition movement trying to regain its momentum after the shock of the Republican’s first weeks in office,” according to Politico.

“So-called Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans and elections activists. The rallies appeared peaceful, with no immediate reports of arrests.”

“Protesters Tee Off Against Trump and Musk in “Hands Off!” Rallies Across the U.S.” Politico (5 April 2025).

Miller, Violet and Anna Savchenko. “Hands Off Protest in Downtown Chicago Draws Thousands Criticizing Trump’s Policies.” WBEZ (5 April 2025).